Buffalo Toronto Public Media believes in encouraging children’s imagination and creativity by providing an outlet for young storytellers. The BTPM PBS KIDS Writers Contest fosters children’s imagination and writing skills by prompting participants in grades K-3 to compose and illustrate stories.

Storytelling, self-expression, self-confidence, and communication are foundational skills developed and fostered by this contest. Writing contests provide opportunities for children to share their stories with an audience and gain exposure to the concepts of deadlines, word count and subject matter boundaries. Creative writing helps power children’s brains and boosts results in other academic subjects including math, science, and languages. The arts, through illustrating and storytelling, provide a safe space for children to express themselves, which can boost their self-confidence and self-esteem.

This Contest is open to children who reside in Western New York counties encompassing our broadcast viewing area (Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany, Wyoming Genesee, Orleans), as well as Southern Ontario.

How the Contest Works

Children in grades kindergarten through third, from our Western New York and Southern Ontario viewing areas, are encouraged to write and illustrate stories and submit them to Buffalo Toronto Public Media, who will select winners and award prizes. This year’s deadline is March 31, 2026.

Entries may be mailed, dropped off, or emailed along with official entry form to WritersContest@btpm.org. Full submission details on the official entry form.

Winners: There will be four (4) winners in each grade level, sixteen (16) total winners. Kindergarten – first place, second place, third place, and honorable mention; First Grade – first place, second place, third place, and honorable mention; Second Grade – first place, second place, third place, and honorable mention; Third Grade – first place, second place, third place, and honorable mention.

Prizing: Every child’s participation is recognized with a certificate. All four (4) first place entries will each receive an Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet (approximate value: $132.00). The remaining second place entries (4), third place entries (4), and honorable mention entries (4) will each receive a gift card (valued at $100.00) from a local book shop. Any winning authors from Western New York will receive a gift card from Alice Ever After Books and any winning authors from Southern Ontario will receive a gift card from Mabel’s Fables. All winning entries will also receive a Contest t-shirt, a book, PBS KIDS goodies, and their stories published on btpm.org and Buffalo Toronto Public Media social media platforms. Winners will be invited, along with their families and teachers, to a celebration to read their stories at our downtown Buffalo BTPM Studios in May 2026. The ceremony will also be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend in-person.

Click the button below to read the 2025 winning stories!

Educators!

We invite you to consider integrating the Contest into your school’s curricula, and/or offering special writing sessions for interested students. With that in mind, we’ve collected resources designed specifically for K-3 classrooms for your use in conjunction with the contest as well as information on the ways in which the Contest aligns with the New York State Common Core standards.

Families!

While providing a platform for children’s original stories, we also encourage parents and caregivers to help enter their children in the contest and encourage their child’s creativity, imagination, and illustrations. The BTPM PBS KIDS Writers Contest offers families time spent together building literacy and critical thinking skills. Our contest has provided a safe place for children to find their voice, discover the power of storytelling, and discover enjoyable and silly stories. The Contest gives children a boost of confidence when they are able to share their work.

Writers Contest resources to use in your classroom or home!