PHS launches Berbee-Walsh Writing Contest

Perrysburg High School is holding a new writing contest this year, called the Berbee-Walsh Writing Contest. The English teachers just launched the contest in their classrooms, and the response has been very positive!

The contest is sponsored by James Berbee and Karen Walsh of Madison, Wisconsin, who are family members of a Perrysburg High School teacher. The main goal of the competition is to build enthusiasm for the craft of writing. The rules specifically do not require a particular style or genre of writing—and that’s by design.

“So often as young adults, we had specific writing assignments where we were told what to write about,” said Ms. Walsh. “As someone who’s written both fiction and non-fiction, I wanted students to experience the joy of writing something of their own choosing. We hope it allows them to connect with their own creativity and discover a love of writing.”

The contest is open to any PHS student in any grade. The length requirement is between 200 – 2,500 words. The piece submitted must not have been read by a teacher - either casually or formally for a class. This must be something the student has done on his/her own. Judging will be done blindly by a panel of judges. No one on the panel will be associated with PHS. The recipients of the awards will be announced in May. Prize amounts are as follows: 1st is $1,000; 2nd is $750; 3rd is $500; and honorable mention can range between $100-$250. Pieces must be submitted in hard copy to Mrs. Evans in room 236 by 3:00 p.m. on March 15 and must be uploaded electronically to turnitin.com. No late submissions will be accepted.

The information and entry form has other guidelines/requirements spelled out for contestants. Please note that there is also a parental consent form for students who are not yet 18 years of age. The link to the information and entry form is here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19uefnw8AzeyS_8oELLdnlDKgW9Jp_u7S_mDBvnZL8Ak/edit?usp=sharing