The New York Times offers nine different contests. The contests are for students in high school and middle school, ages 11 to 19, except for the Coming of Age Contest, for which they must be 13 to 19. The Times announces the winners about eight weeks after the contest closes, and the winners get their work published on The Learning Network.
Each contest is different. You can create a podcast, write an editorial, make a video, review arts and culture, and compose personal narratives. There are so many different ways that you can express yourself.
Personal Narrative Writing Contest
Write a short story, less than 600 words, about a powerful, personal and meaningful life experience.
Review Contest
Write a short review, fewer than 450 words, about a book, movie, music, podcast, restaurant, technology, TV show or video game.
Vocabulary Video Contest
Create a short 15-second vocabulary video challenge. Make a short video about a word chosen from the 200-plus Words of the Day.
Profile Contest
Write a short, fewer than 700 words interview about an interesting person in your community, then tell us about that person in a question-and-answer format. Include a photograph of the person, a short introduction, three to eight edited questions, and answers from your interview that get at the heart of what you would like to tell others about this person.
STEM Writing Contest
Write a short, fewer than 500 words, engaging explanation of an issue or question in science, technology, engineering, math or health for a general reader.
Editorial Contest
Write a short, fewer than 450 words argument about something that matters to you, and persuade the reader that they should care too.
Podcast Contest
Create an original podcast, fewer than five minutes that informs or entertains about anything that interests you.
Summer Reading Contest
Write a short, fewer than 1,500 characters – about 250 words, story about anything that got your attention in The Times.
Coming of Age: A Multimedia Contest for Teenagers
An invitation to document, reflect and express yourself creatively on any aspect, big or small, of what it means to be growing up in this extraordinary moment. The Times accepts nearly anything that can be uploaded digitally, including essays, diary entries, poems, songs/raps, interviews, letters/emails/text messages, photos/screenshots, comics, videos, and podcasts