Writopia Lab - San Francisco Bay Area
Writopia Lab's Bay Area chapter runs writing workshops out of hubs in Oakland and San Francisco, offering high schoolers trimester-long weekly workshops, school-break and summer intensives, and private sessions across fiction, memoir, poetry, and playwriting. Students can submit work through Writopia's affiliated competitions, including the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards regional partnership and the Worldwide Plays Festival.
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Tri-Valley Writers High School Writing Contest
The California Writers Club Tri-Valley Branch hosts an annual writing contest for students attending high schools in Danville, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon (East Bay, CA). Students submit up to two original pieces in poetry, nonfiction, or short story categories; branch members judge entries, and winners receive cash prizes and read their work at a public awards ceremony.
Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival
Brave New Voices is an annual international youth poetry slam festival founded and produced by Youth Speaks, a San Francisco spoken-word organization. Teen poetry teams from across the world compete in spoken-word slam rounds alongside workshops and community events; the 2026 festival (its 29th year) will be held in the San Francisco Bay Area in July.
CATE Creative Writing Student Showcase
The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) runs an annual statewide creative writing showcase inviting California students, including high schoolers, to submit poetry, short stories, or essays responding to an annual prompt. Local CATE council divisions select top entries, which are published on the CATE website; the 2026 prompt is 'Preserving Narratives, Amplifying Perspectives,' exploring AI and human voice.
Redwood Writing Contest
Co-hosted by the Redwood Writing Project and the Redwood Council of CATE at Cal Poly Humboldt, this annual North Coast California writing contest invites students in grades 3-12 to submit original personal essays, poetry, or short stories organized by grade band. Winners are published in a contest anthology, invited to an awards ceremony, and top entries advance to the statewide CATE Student Writing Showcase.
Youth Radio (YR Media)
Youth Radio is an Oakland, California nonprofit that trains young people ages 14-24 as journalists, podcast producers, and media makers, pairing them with professional editors to produce real published audio and media work. Relaunched in 2026 after a hiatus, the program requires no prior experience and centers youth voice on current events and culture.
YOUTH: Creative Competition for Bay Area High School Artists
Organized around the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and promoted through Creative Sonoma, this annual competition invites Bay Area high school students to submit original work in essay, poetry, video, or fine art categories. Winners are recognized at a public 'Step Into the Light' exhibit and awards ceremony, with cash and prizes for best-of-show entries in each category.