Wick Juniors Summer Camp:

July 9-July 13, 2025

For writers entering grades 3 through 12.

Registration fee:     $375.00*

The Wick Juniors Summer Camp is offered in partnership with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Students entering grades 3 through 12 will experience one day with the Wick Poetry Center teachers at Kent State University followed by a three-night, four-day stay at the Environmental Education Center (EEC) in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Through guided hikes, pond dips, and more, the young writers will explore how the natural world influences our writing. A culminating reading will be held on the grounds of the CVNP on Sunday. The registration fee covers all expenses, including meals and lodging during the days spent at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Additionally, the young writers will receive a t-shirt, notebook, and pencils.

 Space is limited to 65 campers.

 A full camp itinerary is forthcoming. If you have any questions or concerns, please email: wickjuniors@kent.edu

The Maggie Anderson Endowment Fund aims to assist talented writing students at Kent State University with writing-related travel expenses. Funds may be used to offset the costs of writers’ conferences, workshops, and travel.

Guidelines:

• You must be a current Kent State University student.
• You must not have received a Maggie Anderson Endowment scholarship in the past.
• Submissions must include 10 pages (or poems) of a creative writing sample.
• All entries must be original and may be simultaneously submitted to other publications.
• Submissions must include a separate cover letter explaining why and how a scholarship would assist you and your writing-related travel.
• Submissions must include a detailed budget for how the requested funds will be spent.

The application period for the scholarship is between November 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025. Once we receive the submissions, a selection committee will review all applications and make a recommendation for funding to David Hassler, executive director of the Wick Poetry Center. 

$1,000 in scholarships will be awarded for the best poetry submitted by  Kent State University Honors students. 

• These awards are nonrenewable. Undergraduates may reapply.
• The competition is open to any Honors undergraduate currently enrolled at Kent State University.
• The scholarship awards are to Kent State University only. 
• All entries must be original and unpublished.
• Each entrant may submit one poem only.
• The poem should be no more than 100 lines long.
• The poet’s name should not appear on the poem. 
• In the cover letter section of this form, poets must write their name, address, email and telephone number.  
• Entries must be submitted between November 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025. 
• WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAY, 2025.
  
   

This prize is offered annually to a poet who has not previously published a full-length collection of poems. The prize awards the winner with $2,500 and publication of their first full-length book of poetry by the Kent State University Press. The winner and the competition's judge will give a reading together on the Kent State campus. The winning collection will be selected by Pádraig Ó Tuama.

  ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

• The competition is open to poets writing in English who have not yet published a full-length collection of poems (a volume of 50 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies).
• There is a $25 reading fee.
• Submissions must consist of 50 to 70 pages of poetry, with no more than one poem included on a page. 
• The poet's name or identifying information is not to appear on the manuscript. Include just one title page with the title only. List all other contact information in the "cover letter" box of the submissions manager. Entries are judged anonymously. If any identifying information is found in the manuscript, including publication information or identifying dedications or notes, the manuscript will be disqualified.
• Do not include an acknowledgments page. If an acknowledgments page is included in the manuscript, the manuscript will be disqualified. 
• The manuscript may be submitted simultaneously to other publishers, but the poet must notify the Wick Poetry Center immediately if the manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere.
• Manuscripts must be postmarked between January 1, 2025, and May 1, 2025.
• A winner will be announced in late summer.

A total of $3,000 in scholarships will be awarded for the best poetry submitted by Kent State University undergraduates.

  1st Place - $1,500

  2nd Place - $1,000

  3rd Place - $500
 

• These awards are nonrenewable. Undergraduates may reapply.
• The competition is open to any undergraduate currently enrolled at Kent State University.
• The scholarship awards are to Kent State University only. 
• All entries must be original and unpublished.
• Each entrant may submit one poem only.
• The poem should be no more than 100 lines long.
• The poet’s name should not appear on the poem. 
• In the cover letter section of this form, poets must write their name, address, email and telephone number.  
• Entries must be submitted between November 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025. 
• WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAY, 2025.
  
  
  
  
  
   

Thomas Michael Freeman was a graduate of Kent State University. His grandfather, Tom Freeman Sr., and family have established an endowed scholarship in Tom's honor to support Kent State University students. The Thomas and Mimi Freeman Family Endowed Scholarship supports students who share Tom's love of nature, dedication to others, belief in the goodness of people and sense of gratitude for all life has to offer. This will be an annual, one-time award granted to one or more students

This $1,000 scholarship will support a writing project for one or two students each year. 

GUIDELINES

1. All Kent State University undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least part-time and in good standing at the university are eligible to apply. 
2. Submit 5 pages of original poetry and a two-page essay in which you describe your personal writing philosophy in relationship to nature, environmental advocacy, or a similar theme.
3. Do not include your name or any other identifying information in your submission, including the file name. The scholarship award is judged blindly. Any identifying information will disqualify the scholarship application.
4. In the cover letter section, include all of your current contact information.
5. Applications open on November 1 and close on April 1 of each year.
6. Scholarship winner will be notified in May.
    

Maj Ragain (1940-2018) was a beloved creative writing professor and mentor. In memory of his many years serving the Kent community, his family has established the Maj Ragain Poetry Scholarship. Each year, under the leadership of the Wick Poetry Center, a committee comprised of Kent State creative writing faculty and Wick Poetry Center staff will award 1 Kent State student (undergraduate or graduate) the Maj Ragain Poetry Scholarship. This $1,000 scholarship will support the student leading community poetry workshops and organizing a yearly poetry reading at Last Exit Books. 

GUIDELINES

1. All Kent State University undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at least part-time and in good standing at the university are eligible to apply. 
2. Submit 5 pages of original poetry and a two-page essay answer the question: “What is the value of poetry to a community?”
3. Do not include your name or any other identifying information in your submission, including the file name. The scholarship award is judged blindly. Any identifying information will disqualify the scholarship application.
4. In the cover letter section, include all of your current contact information.
5. By applying, applicants confirm that they are available to lead TEN one-hour writing workshops in the Kent community (time, date, location TBD) during the school year. Applicants confirm that they are also available to organize a poetry reading at Last Exit Books in the late spring. 
6. Applications open on November 1 and close on April 1 of each year.
7. Scholarship winner will be notified in May.