Sea Glass Fiction Contest 2025

About the Contest

We invited Long Island students in grades 3-12 to write an original story about this pictured piece of sea glass, and to imagine what story the pictured object tells.   

We received more than double the amount of 2024 entries! Our judging panel enjoyed reading every submission anonymously, and we greatly enjoyed the breadth of imagination shown from our young writers!

We are proud to recognize entries which stood out at our 9:30am at Preservation Long Island, and invite visitors to join us then.

Read our Winning Entries

Grades 3-5

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

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Sea Glass Festival

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Guidelines

• This contest was open to residents of Nassau & Suffolk counties in grades 3-12. There was no entry fee to participate. The contest opened on March 1, 2025 and ended on April 30, 2025. All works must be original and written solely by the author. All entries were submitted electronically through the designated portal. Each entry included the digital signature of a parent or guardian, consenting to allow their child/ward to enter the contest, confirming the story is original and written solely by the author, and granting certain rights (see below) to the entry materials. Work created using AI tools, or that incorporates content generated by AI tools, is not considered original work and is ineligible. Judging was coordinated by a partnership between The Whaling Museum & TBR News Media.  Employees of The Whaling Museum or TBR News Media, and members of their immediate families, were not eligible. Select winning entries will be eligible for publication in TBR News Media.

Rights Associated with Contest

• By submitting an entry form, entrants’ parent/legal guardian agreed to:
  • Grant The Whaling Museum & TBR News Media the right to reproduce your work during and after the contest. This includes the right to edit, publish (in print and online), promote, and otherwise use their entry materials without permission, notice or compensation. No royalties will be paid at this or any time. You can reuse all your work after the contest.  
  • Warrant that their child’s/ward’s entry is their original work and does not infringe upon or violate rights of any third party.
  • Release and hold The Whaling Museum & TBR News Media, and its employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives, subsidiaries, parent companies, or other affiliated companies harmless from any and all damages, losses, claims and liabilities arising out of participation in the Contest or resulting from acceptance or claiming of any prize hereunder.
  • Abide by the Contest Rules. 
• Submission of the Entry Form constitutes permission from the participant’s parent/legal guardian for The Whaling Museum & TBR News Media to use the participants’ name, likeness, biographical information, information and materials contained in the Entry Form, photographs, and any statements or remarks made about the Contest in advertising and promotion without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law.
• The Whaling Museum & TBR News Media reserve the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate, suspend or otherwise cancel the Contest at any time. 
• The Whaling Museum & TBR News Media are not responsible for any expenses incurred in connection with participation in the Contest.