Challenges

YWP’s hub of inspiration: All our challenges are here!

Weekly

  • Visual Art

    Deadline

    Red

    Focus on the color red. Show how it pops against a white or muted gray background– from the red cardinal to the red velvet Santa hat. Share your photos of red, wherever you find it.

  • Writing

    Deadline

    Blizzard

    Your car breaks down on the way home from school – in the middle of a blizzard. What do you and your companion talk about while you wait and hope for a tow truck to arrive?

  • Writing

    Deadline

    Peacock

    Tell the story of a peacock that feels like it was born into the wrong family. This one’s quiet and a little self-conscious. How does it manage among its strutting, fancy-plumed siblings and peers? 

Opinion & Commentary

  • Writing

    Camp!

    In the cold, lightless days of early winter, warm us up with sweet memories of camp – sun up to sun down, share your campfire stories and the experiences you had there. Write about camp!

  • Writing

    Bias

    What is the impact of bias on our world? Write about it as you see it in your daily life or in your reading.

  • Writing

    No Gilead

    Abortion rights advocates won major victories in elections in Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia on Nov. 7. To imagine life without those rights, read about the fictional Gilead in Margaret Atwood's book, The Handmaid's Tale. What is your opinion?

Great Artists

  • Visual Art

    Henri Matisse

    French artist Henri Matisse was one of the most original and innovative artists of the early 20th century, known for his use of striking colors.

  • Visual Art

    Norval Morrisseau

    Norval Morrisseau, a self-taught artist, conveyed the stories and values of his Anishinaabe elders in a distinctive visual storytelling style that became known as the Woodland School.

  • Visual Art

    Mark Bradford

    From hair stylist in his mom's beauty salon in Los Angeles to world-renowned artist, Mark Bradford explores issues of class, race, and gender through his art.

Great Poets

  • Writing

    William Blake

    Hi Poets! For the month of December, William Blake is YWP's Great Poet – recommended by YWP intern Anna O'Reilly.

  • Writing

    Joy Harjo

    Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, draws on her ancestors' experience in her award-winning poetry. She was the 23rd United States Poet Laureate (2019-22).

  • Writing

    Ocean Vuong

    Get swept away by the haunting poetry of Ocean Vuong, an award-winning young Vietnamese-American poet, essayist, and novelist.