The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Humanities Alliance, with support from The Teagle Foundation, invite students to participate in “The Next Draft,” a writing contest celebrating language and literature’s role in shaping our understanding of the past and future of the United States.
Students in grades 9–12 who are enrolled in a US-based school may enter the contest by responding to one of two prompts:
Prompt One: Literary Reflection
Identify an existing literary work and describe how it has shaped your understanding of our country. How does this work enrich your understanding about our shared past, present, or future in the United States? What does this work inspire you to consider for the future of the United States?
Prompt Two: Multimodal Creation
Create an original multimodal work (a photo or video essay, or a digital story, for example) that celebrates what the United States means to you and/or inspires you to share about future possibilities for the United States. Multimodal submissions must be accompanied by a reflective essay/artist’s statement.
Each prompt carries a top prize of $1,000. Two second prizes (one for grades 9–10; one for grades 11–12) of $500 will be awarded for each prompt. Entries must be submitted by an educator or guardian.
Key dates: June 29–September 30, 2026: Contest is open for entries; October–November 2026: Literacy educators will judge the entries; December 2026: NCTE will announce the contest winners.