Contest Overview

• Purpose: To inspire students in Archdiocesan-affiliated schools to write about spiritual topics, increase writing skills, and increase writing confidence
• Eligibility: Only open to students enrolled in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade in a school affiliated with the Catholic Schools Office in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Click here to view Catholic schools eligible for this contest.
• Deadline: Friday, February 20, 2026, at 11:59 pm CST.

2026 Prompt

• 2026 Poem Prompt: Write about Our Lady of Guadalupe.                                                                 

Submission Guidelines

• Format: One Word document.
• Length: Maximum of 24 lines (title and stanza breaks do not count). All metrical forms and free-verse are accepted.
• Formatting: Typed in Times New Roman or Arial, font size 12. No handwritten submissions.
• Anonymity: Student names should not appear on the poem but must be included in the submission form.
• Required Details: Include the student’s school, grade, and a unique title for the poem in the top left corner of the page of the poem. Here is an example of a formatted individual poem's page.
• Requirements for Batch Submissions:     Each batch submission will include poems by students in one grade level.  In addition, each batch submission will include a Batch Submission Summary Form listing the following information for each poem: student name,  grade, and title of poem. Here is an example of the required Batch Submission Summary Form and a formatted individual poem's page.

Anti-Plagiarism 

• Disqualification: Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in disqualification from the contest and other possible consequences.
• Originality: The poem must be original, not created by AI technology or copied from another source, unpublished in print, unpublished on the web or in limited edition books.
• Anti-Plagiarism Lesson Plan: To assist students in understanding the definition of plagiarism and its seriousness, we offer this downloadable lesson plan.
• Anti-Plagiarism Declaration: Each student submitting a poem must sign an affirmative declaration that his or her writing is unique, original work. Teachers will keep the statements in their files for one year.

Entry Fee

• Cost: $55 per participating school.
• Payment: Check with your school principal or instructional specialist to confirm if the fee has been paid.

Submission Process

• Open Dates: November 1, 2025 – February 20, 2026 (11:59 pm CST).
• Method: Submit individual poems via Submittable, or through a teacher’s batch submission via Submittable.

Finalists and Winners Selection and Announcement

• Finalists: The preliminary round judges will select the finalists, who will be announced on the Catholic Literary Arts website by March 17, 2026.
• Winners: From the pool of finalists, the final round judges will choose the winners, to be announced on the Catholic Literary Arts website by March 24, 2026.
• Eligibility for Poet Laureate: Only first-place winners from each grade are considered.

Awards Ceremony

• Winners (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, and honorable mentions) will be invited to read their entries at the Awards Ceremony in-person with their families, friends, school principals, and submitting teachers. The Awards Ceremony will take place in April 2026 and details will be shared at a later date.