Growth not grades

Grow Beyond Grades is partnering with Human Restoration Project and gotLearning to host a contest for high school and college students. Entries will be reviewed by a panel of educators, writers, and advocates for meaningful learning.

Winners will receive cash prizes and will be considered for inclusion in a forthcoming book from Grow Beyond Grades. We encourage educators, families, and students to spread the word through your social media channels, and to share our media kit in your community or school.

✍️ Guidelines

Entry ideas: There’s no required length—just tell your story in whatever form feels right to you. Written submissions often range from 1,000–2,500 words. Multimedia entries should be long enough to explore your idea with care, and short enough to keep your audience engaged.

We’re looking for authentic stories, not perfect products. Consider sharing a meaningful moment from your life and how it changed the way you think about learning. Your voice matters—and we want to hear it.

🔍 Need inspiration? Browse student stories on our blog.

🔄 Possible Prompts

You don’t have to answer these directly—but they might spark ideas:

  • How have grades, GPA, or testing impacted your motivation, creativity, or mental health?

  • Have you ever experienced learning in a setting that didn’t rely on grades? What changed?

  • What helped you grow more than any letter grade ever could?

  • What do you wish schools valued more in your learning journey?

🎓 Who Can Enter?

  • Open to all current high school and college students.

  • Collaborative submissions (e.g., co-authored pieces, group projects, creative teams) are welcome!

🎯 Judging Criteria

Entries will be evaluated on:

  • Authenticity & Insight – Are you sharing something meaningful or thought-provoking?

  • Connection to Theme – How clearly do you reflect on grades, growth, or learning?

  • Creativity – Do you take a unique approach in voice, structure, or medium?

  • Structure & Flow – Is it easy to follow your ideas and story, even if the format is unconventional?

  • Presentation – For written work: clarity, grammar, and formatting. For multimedia: accessibility and thoughtfulness.

💡 Helpful Tips

  • Honest > polished. Tell your story, your way.

  • You can submit in any style or format: personal essay, poem, letter, short video, dialogue, visual story, or mixed media.

  • Collaborative entries are welcome! Just list all contributors in your submission.

  • Multimedia entries should be submitted as viewable links (Google Drive, YouTube, etc.). Make sure we can access them!

  • We welcome vulnerability, experimentation, and risk-taking.

  • You don’t need to have the answer—just a real reflection.

🏆 Prizes

  • 🥇 First Place – $400

  • 🥈 Second Place – $300

  • 🥉 Third Place – $200

  • Plus three $100 Special Awards:

    • 🌱 Biggest Leap – For a submission that shows the most personal transformation or growth

    • 💡 Boldest Idea – For a piece that challenges assumptions or presents a uniquely creative perspective

    • 🫶 Heart Award – For a story that moves us, makes us feel deeply, or stays with us long after reading or viewing

    All winners—including special award recipients—will have the opportunity to be featured on our website or social media. Selected entries may also be included in an upcoming book!

📅 Submission Deadline

  • Friday, May 30, 2025

📥 How to Submit

Please complete the form on this page. You’ll be asked to provide:

  • Your name

  • Email address

  • A few words about yourself

  • Title of your piece

  • A link to a shared Google Doc or multimedia file (make sure it’s set to “viewable”)

Collaborating with someone? Using a creative format? No problem! Just make a note of it in your submission form.

If you have questions, reach out to us. We’re excited to see what you create.