Each year, the League for Innovation in the Community College invites its board member colleges to participate in the International Student Literary Awards. The Student Literary Awards enable students from board institutions to compete with their peers across North America and provide a means for showcasing a selection of the best works being created by today's community college students.

The initial competition takes place at each participating college or district, with the winners of each local contest moving on to compete at the international level. Winners at the international level  – first, second and third place – receive cash prizes as indicated below. All international-level entries receive a certificate of merit and are published in the League for Innovation International Student Literary Awards anthology, produced by Anne Arundel Community College, this year’s host for the contest.

2026 Theme

The theme for this year's contest is Fissures. 

Definition of Fissure

To crack or cleave, to divide. In the body, a cleft between organs; in the mind, the fold that divides hemispheres. A splintering of thoughts and viewpoints. On a map, the lines that carve continents into nations. In geology, cracks formed by tectonics or volcanic shudders. In a relationship, the cold shoulder. Silence.

We seek writing that explores these cracks, that imaginatively spelunks into the darkness. In fiction, maybe a generational gap between characters sparks bitter conflict. In plays, perhaps a divide is healed, an embrace as the curtain falls. Poetry that lingers in the groove where words never quite say what we need them to mean. Personal essays that, like kintsugi, fill the cracks of what is broken with gold.

Eligibility

• Students must be currently enrolled in credit courses at a participating college. Academic enrollment must be verified by the local coordinator. (Dual-enrollment high school, early college and noncredit students are not eligible to participate.)
• Entries must be original works written during enrollment in credit-bearing courses at a participating college.
• Each participating college may submit one literary piece in each category – fictional short story, one-act play, personal essay, and poetry – to the international competition. Each piece submitted must be written by a different student.
• By entering the awards competition, students grant the league and the host college permission to reproduce their submission in print and digital forms.

Categories and Maximum Length

• Fictional short story: 3,500 words
• One-act play: 3,500 words, including stage direction/production notes
• Personal essay: 2,500 words
• Poetry: 67 lines

International-Level Prizes

Winners who are eligible for a cash or equivalent prize will receive a check.

• First place: $500
• Second place: $200
• Third place: $100

All international-level winners receive a Certificate of Merit and are published in the league's Student Literary Competition anthology.

Submission Process

The contest coordinator at each league member college should submit one entry per category. Each entry must be from a different student.

• Entries must be PDF files.
• All identifying information must be removed from the manuscript, including from the file name of the document.
  • No student name
  • No name of school
  • No email address, etc.
• The title on the manuscript must match the title on the entry form.
• The manuscript must have a header in the upper right corner of each page with the following information:
  • Title of story, play, poem or essay
  • Genre: short fiction, one-act play, poetry or personal essay
  • Page number

Deadline for league competition is Wednesday, April 17, 2026.

Entry Information

Students interested in participating in this competition should reach out to their school's writing contest coordinator or English faculty to learn more.

Submissions to the international contest will only be accepted from school coordinators using the submission form.