The East Central Ohio Educational Service Center (ECOESC) held the awards ceremony day of the annual Young Authors’ & Young Illustrators’ Workshop and Competition hosted by Kent State Tuscarawas on February 21, 2025.

The workshop was open to fifth and ninth graders in school districts in Carroll, Guernsey, and Tuscarawas Counties.  School Districts in attendance were Carrollton, Claymont City Schools, Dover City Schools, East Guernsey Local Schools, Newcomerstown, New Philadelphia City Schools, and Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools.  

The event kicked off on October 18, 2024.  Students arrived at 9 a.m. in their author and illustrator pairs.  Students collaborated and brainstormed their ideas until a final idea was agreed upon.  The student authors then attended a workshop on writing with 2 local authors while student illustrators attended a workshop on drawing with a local artist.  Participants were encouraged to continue working with their partners as final submissions were due at the end of January.  

Celebration Day was slightly different this year.  ECOESC Staff took suggestions from Teachers and organized, with the Kent State Tuscarawas Student Services Department, for participants to be able to tour and learn about the various programs to foster plans of higher education after high school.  As students returned from the tour, they were then able to read peer story submissions to provide encouragement and feedback.  The attendees this year were able to provide some very thorough and thought-provoking critiques.  

Students enjoyed a delicious lunch and then regrouped for the highly exciting awards ceremony.  Awards given were for:  5th Grade Literary Excellence and 9th Grade Literary Excellence; 5th Grade Artistic Excellence and 9th Grade Artistic Excellence; 5th Grade Author-Illustrator Excellence and 9th Grade Author-Illustrator Excellence; while all students received a certificate of participation.  

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Fifth Grade:

Literary Excellence Award: The Defeat of Scar by  Amelia Scott (Newcomerstown)

Artistic Excellence Award: The Adventure of the Century by Brandon Kastor (New Philadelphia)

Author- llustrator Excellence Award: The Medieval Mishap by Johnny Neff and Reagan Hardy (East Guernsey)

Ninth Grade:

Literary Excellence Award: Crash Land by Will Pilcher (Dover)

Artistic Excellence Award: Broken by Midnight Cassidy McKee (Dover)

Author-Illustrator Excellence Award: Heroes by Ryan Barnett and Cailyn Reed (Carrollton)

Read this year’s stories here!