The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is calling for entries in its annual REALM program, which publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers. The REALM Award is intended to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing.
This student literary magazine program is open to accredited middle and secondary schools throughout the United States, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad. The magazines submitted need to have been published between September of the previous year and June of the entry year. Digital versions are accepted and welcomed. Elementary magazines are accepted but will be judged by the middle school rubric. Newspapers and yearbooks are not eligible. National judges complete the first round of judging based on a point system. Learn more about REALM’s guidelines, eligibility, and judging here.
Although the National Council of Teachers of English sponsors the award, NCTE membership is not required to apply. Entries are accepted until July 31; results are announced in January of the subsequent year and posted on the NCTE website. Schools recommended for a REALM Award receive a certificate denoting their award, and the names of the student editors, literary advisor, and school appear on the NCTE website.