blood, white, and blue
It's 12:34 AM on July 5th, 2025 and I still see fireworks going off in the sky.
I hear the booms, the bangs, the commotion of endless fireworks
going on for hours
still raging
on a brand new day.
Young Writers Project
The Daily Read
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249th
blow out your candles.
make a wish.
hold up a protest sign.
tonight the fireworks spell R E S I S T.
your hair's in pigtails braided red blue and white.
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The Fourth of July
It's the fourth of July
which usually means fun and excitement and cool parades to avoid when driving around
but this year,
this year is not a fun fourth of July
Gallery
Spotlight
This Summer! The Tomorrow Project
This summer, write and create art for The Tomorrow Project, a series of writing and visual art challenges that explore the issues of today – with hope and solutions for tomorrow. Cash prizes, publication, and exhibits!
Challenges
Writing
Deadline
Forgotten
Write from the perspective of a forgotten toy that was once the center of a young child's life.
Visual Art
Deadline
Pastoral
Paint a pastoral scene, either from a photo or en plein air, in watercolor or another medium of your choice.
Writing
Deadline
Seneca
Stoic philosopher Seneca's prescription for happiness was to enjoy the present without regrets for the past and fears about the future. Write about the experience of appreciating the moment.
Writing
Deadline
Tomorrow Project
A series of writing and visual art challenges that explore the issues of today – with hope and solutions for tomorrow. Challenges, cash prizes, publication, and exhibits!
Writing
The Declaration of Independence
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." July 4, 1776
Visual Art
Democracy & Ethics – Visual Art
Using the medium of your choice, interpret the concept of democracy. Consider President Abraham Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people." You can take a realistic photograph or create an imaginative illustration.
News & Events
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YWP Survey
Thank you to everyone who has responded to our survey on YWP! We've received really positive responses and some great ideas! If you missed it, we'd still like to hear from you! Log in to take the survey!
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Help Create Weekly Challenges for 2025-26
YWP Writers and Artists: We're getting our Weekly Challenges ready for the next school year and we'd love your inspiration!
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Try the Quiz
This spelling quiz was created by Jacques Bailly, Scripps National Spelling Bee's pronouncer – and YWP board member – and published in The Washington Post, May 27, 2025. Try it!
