2024-25 Graphic Short
Story Contest

For this year's contest, we are calling on teens to spotlight organizations in the NYC and LA areas that bring healing and regenerative solutions to environmental issues and encourage a community reconnection to the natural world. By bringing awareness to these organizations, readers can learn about ways they can get involved and help individually and collectively within their communities.

What story do you want to bring alive about an organization making positive impacts for your community, city, or state?

With all of the environmental concerns we face today, sometimes the easiest thing to do is—act locally! What are different organizations doing in your community or city to help our environmental and climate shifting concerns? By entering this contest, you will be able to dive deep into an environmental topic and create a story of one particular organization that is tackling an issue and bringing the community in to help. We provide all of the references you will need in the links on this page. Please read through all of the links before starting your story!

Eligibility:

This contest is open to anyone who currently resides in New York or California state and is currently in high school, or is a high school-aged homeschooler (ages 13 to 19).

• You do not need any artistic experience or special skills to apply!

• Only 1 participant per entry.

• Teens who have participated or are currently participating in Rising Earth’s Teen Production Council, Alumni Teen Production Council, or our Alliance Partnership programs are eligible to apply. If you have created a graphic short story in the past as part of our program, you must create and submit a new story about a different organization.

You are not eligible to enter if:

• You have won a Rising Earth Graphic Short Story contest in prior years. 

• You are a team, such as 1 writer and 1 illustrator.

The Selection Process + Criteria

Our panel of judges made up of 5 former Rising Earth College Interns, all of whom are familiar with our story projects in the past, will select the 4 winners!

The judges will blindly score each entry based on the following 9 categories: Voice. Diverse perspectives. Information. Creativity. Text. Community organization theme. Inspired to take action. Entertaining. Overall impression.

For a full description of the categories, we strongly encourage you to review the Judging Criteria throughout your process.

Dates and Deadlines:

Opens Fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

Awards:

• 4 winning stories will be selected. Each winner will receive $500.
  

• 2 stories will receive honorable mentions.
  

• Mentoring teachers of finalists will receive plaques for their classrooms.
  

• All finalists’ stories will be displayed on Rising Earth’s website in our online gallery, along with their name and a mentoring teacher's name. Also, the organizations featured in these stories will often use the work for promotional or educational purposes and feature it on their social media.

How To Enter:

Please review these Guidelines closely. You’ll find details for dimension requirements, acceptable art mediums, file formats, what to submit and where.

All entries must include a signed Parent/Legal Guardian Consent Form.

To enter: complete the Contest Entry Form where you’ll upload your graphic short story and the consent form.

Resources:

New York & California Organizations Reference Sheet
Please review these reference sheets to pick a story that interests you. All of the information within these documents has been vetted and can be used within your story. The reference sheets also provide story ideas if you are feeling stuck! 

How To Create A Graphic Short Story
This document will give you a step by step guidance for how to create a graphic short story.

Feel free to browse our Project Gallery to view stories from past years.

Please reach out to us with any additional questions!