MOLINE, ILLINOIS - WQPT, Quad Cities PBS calls on all children in kindergarten through 3rd grade to enter the PBS Kids Go Writing Contest. Every entrant will receive a Certificate of Achievement. Stories must be the original work of the child. They may write fact or fiction, prose or poetry. All entries must be postmarked by Friday, April 10, 2012 and mailed or dropped off at WQPT at the Western Illinois University 60th Street Campus as 3561 60th Street Moline, Illinois 61265 Sixteen winners (four selected from each grade) will receive local recognition on WQPT and win special prizes. Winning stories will be displayed at the Butterworth Center in Moline, Illinois, the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, the Family Museum in Bettendorf, Iowa, the Midwest Writing Center in Davenport, Iowa and on the WQPT website. Winners will be notified in late April and a reception will be held to honor the winning stories at the Butterworth Center in Moline.
Sponsors of the writing contest are also hosting workshops to help Kindergarten through 3rd grade students with their writing and illustrating skills. Participants are not required to enter the contest. Parents are also invited to learn how to assist children with writing and editing stories. These workshops will be held:
Saturday, February 25 Moline Public Library
10:00am-11:00am The workshop is for young writers focused on kids in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade. For more information, contact the Moline Public Library Children's Department at 309/524-2440. FREE
Saturday, March 3 Davenport Public Library (Fairmount)
10:00am-11:15am For young writers in Kindergarten through 3rd grade (but older children may attend). Parents are also invited. For more information, contact Ana Kehoe at at-kehoe@wiu.edu or 309/764-2400. FREE
Tuesday, March 6 Family Museum (Bettendorf)
3:30pm-5:00pm. For young writers (and their parents/guardians) who would like to begin a book. For more information, contact Julie Klein at 563/344-4170. Workshop is free with museum membership or paid admission.
Friday, March 9, Bucktown Center for the Arts (Davenport)
4:00 pm Midwest Writing Center at Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 E. Second St., Suite 303, Davenport, IA. A workshop on how to write and publish a book before age 10. Young author Anna Shammas will talk to kids about how she published her first book. FREE For more information, email mwc@midwestwritingcenter.org.
To find out more about entering the contest log on to www.wqpt.org.
Funding and support for the project has been provided in part by the Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, Figge Art Museum, Family Museum and Midwest Writing Center.
Please note that WQPT has moved their offices since the last contest. WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University.
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