Do you know a budding teen Melville or Conrad? If so, make sure they know about the amazing opportunity being offered by Merlyn’s Pen, a nonprofit organization which uses writing to create unique experiences for teenagers.
The Black Dog Tall Ships & Merlyn’s Pen Writing Contest will award one lucky young person a scholarship to sail board the tall ship Shenandoah which is sure to launch a boatload of creative writing ideas and life experiences.
Another reason, I like this contest is because they feature a poem dear to my heart, Sea-Fever by John Masefield.
Check out all of the contest details here and make sure that your application gets in by May 1, 2010.
From the Merlyn’s Pen website:
Since 1985, Merlyn’s Pen has supported teachers who promote creativity, critical thinking, and writing. Through its classroom magazines, teaching guides, instructional workbooks, audio tapes, staged readings, writing contests, and summer- and distance-learning programs, it has touched the lives of millions of students in America. Its most public service since 2003 has been the New Library of Young Adult Writing, which showcases outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction authored by America’s teens, grades 6-12. Literature in the New Library gives heart to beginning writers. To advanced teen writers, the Library is an online resource of successful models to explore, engage, and emulate. When discussed in secondary classrooms, this literature sparks critical thinking and discussion about topics important in teen life.
Sea-Fever blog 