Bennington College has given many of our nation’s foremost writers their start. They include twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, and authors of countless New York Times bestsellers. In celebration of this legacy, Bennington launched the Young Writers Awards to promote outstanding writing achievement at the high school level. High school students worldwide are invited to enter. Students in the 9th–12th grades can submit poetry, a short story, or an essay by November 1. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category and awarded cash prizes and scholarships.