Student Contests 2025

NEW! EKPHRASTIC
Submission Period: October 1, 2024 - January 15, 2025

For the second year, Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets joins forces with the Woodson Art Museum, inviting high school students to participate in a statewide ekphrastic poetry competition. Students will write and submit poems inspired by artwork images from the Woodson Art Museum’s collection. Entries accepted October 1 through January 15, 2024.

An installation at Woodson Art Museum of the winning poems and collection artworks will follow during April’s National Poetry Month. In addition, winning poems are announced on WFOP’s contest results page.

Cash prizes:
1st place $75
2nd place $50
3rd place $25

Submission Period: October 1, 2024-January 15, 2025. Poems arriving after 11:59 p.m on January 15, 2025 will not be considered.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Students may enter ONE original poem

  • Maximum length: 24 lines (which includes stanza breaks, but not the title).

  • Line length: 60-character limit, including spaces and indents.

  • We cannot consider longer poems, multiple entries, or collaborative poems (written by more than one student).

  • Students need to be Wisconsin High School students in current attendance.

To Submit:

Poems must be submitted via e-mail submissions. In the subject line, write: “WFOP Ekphrastic Poetry Contest Lastname Firstname” – for example: WFOP Ekphrastic Poetry Contest SmithJoan.

In the body of the email, include:

  • The student’s name, home address, e-mail address if available, telephone number, student’s current grade in school, and the title of the poem.

  • The teacher’s name, e-mail address, the school’s name, school’s complete mailing address, and school phone number (homeschoolers: indicate homeschool association, if applicable).

  • Important! At the bottom, include the following statement: “This is my original work” followed by the student’s name typed.

  • Send the poem as an attachment: rtf, doc or docx. Name the attachment the same as the title of the poem with no identifying information.

  • The attached document must contain only your poem and its title. Do not put your name or any other information in the document.

  • Please format poems in Times New Roman 12.

  • Email address for submissions is wfopekphrasticstudentpoetry@gmail.com

Email acknowledgements of submissions will be sent. If an acknowledgement has not been received within two weeks after submission, please contact the contest coordinator at the above email address.

Winners will be notified via email and posted at: wfop.org/contests-results.

GENERAL
Submission Period: September 1, 2024-February 1, 2025

Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets calls for student poems for middle and high school students.

Winning poems are announced on our contest results page and will appear in the 2026 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar.

All winning poets (including honorable mentions) will receive a complimentary copy. JUNIOR DIVISION (grades 6 - 8) and SENIOR DIVISION (grades 9 - 12).

Cash prizes in each division:
1st place $75
2nd place $50
3rd place $25

Submission Period: September 1, 2024-February 1, 2025. Poems arriving after 11:59 p.m on February 1, 2025 will not be considered.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Students may enter ONE original poem

  • Maximum length: 24 lines (which includes stanza breaks, but not the title).

  • Line length: 60-character limit, including spaces and indents.

  • We cannot consider longer poems, multiple entries, or collaborative poems (written by more than one student).

  • Students need to be attending a school (or be home-schooled) in Wisconsin.

To Submit:

Poems must be submitted via e-mail submissions. In the subject line, write: “WFOP Contest Lastname Firstname” – for example: WFOP Contest SmithJoan.

In the body of the email, include:

  • The student’s name, home address, e-mail address if available, telephone number, student’s current grade in school, and the title of the poem.

  • The teacher’s name, e-mail address, the school’s name, school’s complete mailing address, and school phone number (homeschoolers: indicate homeschool association, if applicable).

  • Important! At the bottom, include the following statement: “This is my original work” followed by the student’s name typed.

  • Send the poem as an attachment: rtf, doc or docx. Name the attachment the same as the title of the poem with no identifying information.

  • The attached document must contain only your poem and its title. Do not put your name or any other information in the document.

  • Please format poems in Times New Roman 12.

  • Email address for submissions is wfopstudentcontest@gmail.com.

Email acknowledgements of submissions will be sent. If an acknowledgement has not been received within two weeks after submission, please contact the contest coordinator at the above email address.

Winners will be notified via email and posted at: wfop.org/contests-results.

Projected publication date of 2026 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar is September 2025.

 

Artwork Images for Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

Images TBA.