Aiden won an honorable mention from the Utah State Poetry Society.  The contest he won is called the Junior Creative Poetry Contest, a statewide contest sponsored by the aforementioned and co sponsored by the Utah Arts Council and The Salt Lake Tribune.  This is the 60th year that they have been holding this event in the springtime, open to students in first grade through high school throughout Utah. 

 

 

This year there were over 1300 entries in the five categories, and Aiden was amongst the 2% of the qualified entries to make it to the winners' list.  All of the children were awarded a cash prize and a certificate.  The schools and the teacher were also recognized and invited to the awards ceremony.

 

The Utah State Poetry Society is an organization dedicated to the creation and appreciation of poetry.  Sponsored by C. Cameron Johns, the first president, six charter members founded the Utah State Poetry Society on May 6, 1950.  On October 18th 1963, the society was incorporated under the laws of the State of Utah.  The Junior Creative Poetry contest and program is made possible by grants from the Utah Arts Council and the Utah State Office of Education, with additional funding from the Utah State Poetry Society.  The contest is open to Utah students, grade 1 - 12 whether in home school, private school, or public school.

 

Aiden and his family were very proud of his accomplishment.  When asked how he did it and what inspired the poem, he answered in the classic ten year old voice, "I don't know, I just did it."  Aiden's fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Bennet, encouraged and supported creative writing in the classroom.  Aiden loves to create stories and will often sit down and just start writing.  He says that he enjoys making up stories, especially about dragons, his favorite animal.