East Providence Students Honored as part of State Writing Competition

Providence, R.I. (February 15, 2018) With stiff competition from more than 150 story submissions from students in grades 7-12 across the state, School One and Goat Hill are pleased to announce the winning entries of Rhode Island’s only short fiction writing competition for students.

Congratulations to Orli Juarez. Her story, Ayita’s Last Dane received a Notable Mention in the Write Rhode Island short fiction competition and will be published alongside the other winners of Write Rhode Island. Orli cited her teacher, Kelley Richardson, as being instrumental in presenting creative writing opportunities at school.

Caroline Kramer, Riverside Middle School, also received a Notable Mention in the Write Rhode Island short fiction competition. Her story, Galaxy of the Land, will be published alongside the other winners of Write Rhode Island. When asked, Caroline said her teacher John Macomber, encouraged students to enter their stories.

Another community partner was local librarian Lisa Perry at the Weaver Library, Weaver Library hosted a local writer as part of the Write Rhode Island free creative writing workshops.

Write Rhode Island is a short fiction writing competition for Rhode Island students presented by School One and Goat Hill. The goal of Write Rhode Island is to promote and celebrate the works of students by incorporating Rhode Island as a theme in a creative piece of prose. This past fall, Write Rhode Island sponsored free creative writing workshops for teens at public libraries and schools across the state.

Of the more than 150 competition entries from across the Ocean State, more than 90 percent of students cited teachers and librarians as their introduction to Write Rhode Island.

Diana DeCesaris Champa, Director of Literary Engagement at School One, is also the competition’s coordinator. Partnerships like Goat Hill, as well as the volunteers and sponsors of Write Rhode Island, are crucial to its success. The competition also relies on teachers and librarians to help us spread the word and encourage participation.

“It’s very exciting to provide an audience and a way to connect with writing outside the classroom,” said Champa. “The opportunity to be published can be inspiring, and it gives students another reason to work at rewriting, editing and polishing their work. Last year, teachers reached out to thank us for providing this type of writing opportunity outside the classroom for students. This year we received more than 150 submissions and we’re thrilled.”

The winning entries were selected by Goat Hill writers, Ann Hood, Hester Kaplan and Taylor Polites, and winners of the Write Rhode Island short story competition will be honored at a special awards ceremony at the Newport Art Museum on March 18, 2018.

When asked about the judging process, Goat Hill said, “The display of talent in this year’s competition is a testament to the innate desire we all feel to tell our stories. We look forward to not only cultivating storytelling in the young people of our state, but also for the stories they will tell now and in the future.”

“Write Rhode Island spurred teen writers from across the state to take creative risks and channel their imaginations onto the page. The stories show real range and complexity.” Borman explains that School One wanted to be part of creating a showcase for student writers. “School One has long been known for its strength in the arts and we wanted to extend the opportunity beyond our walls. It’s been great to collaborate with other writers, teachers, and librarians from around the state, especially our partners at Goat Hill Writers.”

Write Rhode Island has been made possible thanks to support from BankRI, Pawtucket Credit Union, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Stenhouse Consulting, and teachers, librarians, and educators from around the state.

Complete List of Winners

2018 Write Rhode Island Winners (story title, student, and school)

• Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun, Sam Read, Barrington High School
• Dream Pool, Rebecca Smith, Montessori Pathways of New England (Exeter)
• Unwelcome Guests, Amanda Woodard, Barrington High School

2018 Write Rhode Island “Notable Mention” (story title, student, school)

• Into the Light, Andrew Ackroyd, Chariho High School
• Give Me the Directions!, Diego Cante, St. Patrick Academy
• Dive In, Qwin Cute, Paul Cuffee Middle School
• A Retrace of Steps, Dominique DiSpirito, Woonsocket High School
• Toast Crumbs, Jane Freiman, Barrington High School
• Deeper Water, Eva Haan, Quest Montessori School 
• My Italian Grandmother, Claire Hagerty, Wheeler School
• To Raise the Sea, Violet Johnson, Barrington High School
• Ayita’s Last Dance, Orli Juarez, Edward R. Martin Middle School
• Galaxy of the Land, Caroline Kramer, Riverside Middle School
• The Mighty American Dollar, Martin Lapczyk, Barrington Middle School
• My Life on Pell Bridge, Jillian Lombardi, Moses Brown School
• The Wooden Elephant, Marlaina MacDonald, Paul Cuffee Middle School
• Rhode Island Smalls, Emily Ornberg, Westerly Middle School
• Marie Nottingham, Caroline Sechio, West Warwick High School
• The 10 That Saved Nella, Marlin Severino, Segue Institute for Learning
• Through the Flames, Chloe Shilale, Chariho High School

For more information, including a full list of winners and events, visit www.school-one.org or contact Diana Champa at (401) 331-2497 and dianac@school-one.org.