The East Central Ohio Educational Service Center (ECOESC) held the awards ceremony day of the annual Young Authors & Illustrators Conference and Competition hosted by ​​Kent State Tuscarawas on February 24. 

The conference was open to fifth and ninth graders in school districts in Tuscarawas and Guernsey Counties. Schools in attendance at the event included East Guernsey Local Schools, Dover City Schools, Newcomerstown Exempted Village Schools, New Philadelphia City Schools, and Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools. 

The students have been working on their projects since the kick-off day workshop in October. 

The first day of the event back in October allowed the students to start thinking about their stories and illustrations through brainstorming sessions with their partners and interactive lessons with guest speakers. The final creations were submitted to the judging panel in January. 

The students spent the day having open discussions about the writing/illustrating process, their different styles, and how much they enjoyed reading each other’s submissions. 

The ECOESC is thrilled to have 16 fifth graders and 12 ninth graders participate in the competition and work together to create fourteen creative illustrated story projects! Each grade level had a winner in each of the three categories: Best Story, Best Illustration, and Best Collaboration. 

Congratulations to all of this years’ winners! 

5th Grade

Best Collaboration: Old School Scary by Rylee Hall, Illustrated by AJ Schonbrun (Dover)

Best Story: The Strange Locket by Olivia Eick (New Philadelphia)

Best Illustrations: The Last Hike Illustrated by Laylah Bradford (Tuscarawas Valley)

9th Grade

Best Collaboration: Last Breath of Innocence by Bobbie Brown, Illustrated by Carly Styer (New Philadelphia)

Best Story: She’s in a Better Place by Lyela Miller (Dover)

Best Illustrations: The Little Unicorn and the Large Mouse Illustrated by Aubery Elliot (Indian Valley)