Toronto, ON (October 1, 2024): Ripple Foundation – Canada’s national youth education charity nurturing the next generation’s creativity – is looking for its next winner of the annual Kids Write 4 Kids (KW4K) challenge.

Aspiring young writers in grades four to eight are encouraged to submit their original creative writing work by March 31, 2025, for the opportunity to become a published author. Winners pay it forward, with 100% of the proceeds from sales of their book donated to a charity of their choice.

In 2024, the majority of entries were from Ontario, as well as the eventual winners. Since the first KW4K in 2012, over 4,200 students have entered their works and over 11 schools and charities have benefitted from 100% of book sale donations.

Judged by a 12-strong panel of distinguished authors, accomplished journalists, avid readers and writers, and winners from years past, the winner(s) will join a talented roster of 25 young authors across the country, discovered by Ripple Foundation. Previous judges include Kit Pearson, Andrea Lynn Beck and Susan Hughes.

Ivy Wong, Founder of Ripple Foundation said: “Incredible stories from the minds of Canada’s youth find their way to a national stage through our annual contest. Every year, we see this competition reveal a huge wealth of writing talent among students nationwide, with the book sales of previous winners benefitting life-changing causes like Canadian Cancer Society, Right to Play, Children’s Aid Foundation and Operation Smiles. We look forward to seeing the entries and we’d love for anyone who knows an aspiring young writer to encourage them to enter – it could be the spark that shapes their future.”

Winners’ works will be published in paperback and ebook editions and available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBookstore and Overdrive in summer 2025.

The current 2024 winners, Alina Xiao (Grade 8, Oakville, ON) and Myah Rathi Litteljohn (Grade 7, East York, ON) will join the judging panel. They are donating the proceeds of their books to Childhood Cancer Canada. Alina’s work, ‘A Piece of Me’ is a collection of powerful poems which contrast the reality of cancer treatments with the emotional toll it takes on a person’s faith. Myah’s ‘Path of Thorns’ is a masterclass in world-building.

All Ripple Foundation programs are free, virtual and Canada-wide. The Foundation offers four programs to support youth at different stages of their writing journeys:

• KW4K
• Weekly Write-It Workshops, which explore writing principles for students in grades 4-8 and lay the foundation for young authors to participate in KW4K
• Wave Blog, written by youth for youth in grades 8-12
• Express Inspire Connect Youth Conference, an annual virtual conference led by high school students for their peers, facilitating meaningful dialogues and networking opportunities.

To learn more about Kids Write 4 Kids, please visit ripplefoundation.ca/contest/