Gr 7-8 Power of the Pen
Description
Please see the Power of the Pen webpage for more information.

Power of the Pen is statewide creative writing program which targets Ohio’s 7th – 8th grade students. There are three levels of competition (District, Regional, and State) where students participate in three rounds of impromptu writing and receive instant feedback from judges. At CHCA, we practice every Friday during lunch in Mrs. French’s room. Some weeks we write a prompt, others we talk about strategies.

At competitions, students write on a given topic for three 40-minute rounds. They are ranked and assigned quality points for each round. Then, they receive their ballots back at the end of the day to see what the judges liked and suggested for improvement. Judges critique originality and a mastery of literary techniques (unusual narrators, surprise endings, dialogue, building suspense/interest, etc.).

Teams consist of 6 competing members plus any number of alternates. Our team is built on synergy, and we need every writer at each practice! Competing members must be able to attend tournaments in the winter and spring. Alternates are also encouraged to come to tournaments as non-competing members and runners.

Dates: 
District Tournament: Saturday, January 30, 2027 at Mariemont Junior High
Regional Tournament: Saturday, February 20, 2027 at Cincinnati Country Day School
State Tournament: May, date TBD at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio
**All students can write at Districts. Students must place individually to write at Regionals and State. 


*Questions about Power of the Pen, please contact Laura.French@chca-oh.org
Code:
POWERPEN
Location:
CHCA 2026-2027 Programs
Dates:
2026-2027 School Year
Ages:
Grades 7th - 8th
Cost:
$125; Covers team registration and materials
Availability:
This session has openings
Registration will end on 9/29/2026.