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Poetry Contest

Congratulations to the 2023 Poetry Contest Winners!

View the 2023 Poetry Contest Book


2023-2024 Theme:

"I Spy With My Little Eye, Something Green Outside - Celebrating Our Green World"

Network with Nature


2023-2025 Contest Rules

2023-2024 Contest Guidelines


Excite and encourage our Youth to express and explore their creative thoughts through different types of poetry. NGC's Poetry Contest enables our Youth to embrace their creativity through the art of writing. Be imaginative and join the winners to see your poetry in a booklet.

Only regional winners are considered in the judging for national winners. Contest winners will not be allowed to win two consecutive years. All of the winning entries will be compiled into a booklet, which will be made available to the winners.

Eligibility:

  • Special Education: Kindergarten through Ninth Grade.
  • English as a second language: Kindergarten through Ninth Grade.
  • General Education: Kindergarten through Ninth Grade.

Dates for Submission:

  • Club entries must be sent to YOUR State Youth Chairman; observe your State Deadline.
  • State Winners must be sent to Regional Chairman by February 1.
  • Regional Winners must be sent to National Chairman by March 1.

Guidelines:

  •  All entries must be typed and titled
  • Include name, address, age, grade, and school of participant on the back of entry.
  • Sponsoring garden club and state garden club name must also be identified.
  • Sponsoring garden club may be that of a grandparent.
  • All entries become the property of National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Poems do not have to rhyme.
  • Poems may be traditional verse, acrostics, blank verse, cinquains, diamond poems, limerick, or Haiku.
  • The theme should not be used as the title to any poetry. When judging, the title is worth 10 points.

Scale of Points

  • Title: 10%
  • Content: 40%
  • Creativity: 30%
  • Style: 20%
  • Total: 100%

Resources

For more information, contact:

James Pavelka, NGC Poetry Contest Chairman

219-942-6793

jamespavelka@comcast.net