Granite City School District 9 Announces Young Authors Winners

38 students selected to represent district at Madison County Young Author Conference

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Granite City Community Unit School District #9 has announced the winners of its annual Young Authors competition for the 2025-26 school year. The 38 winning students from kindergarten through 8th grade will be invited to attend the upcoming Madison County Young Author Conference on April 18.

Why it matters

The Young Authors program encourages students to develop their creative writing skills and provides them with an opportunity to share their work with peers and the community. Recognizing these young authors helps promote literacy and a love of writing among Granite City students.

The details

After receiving submissions from students across the district, individual school winners were selected. Those entries then advanced to district-level judging, where 38 winners were chosen to represent GCSD9 at the Madison County Young Author Conference. The conference allows students to share their books, participate in reading and writing activities, and be entertained by local authors and performers.

  • The Young Author competition is an annual event for GCSD9 students.
  • The 35th annual Madison County Young Authors Conference will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

The players

Granite City Community Unit School District #9

The public school district serving the Granite City, Illinois area.

Dr. Liz Niepert

Principal of Maryville Elementary School and coordinator of the GCSD9 Young Author program.

Madison County Regional Office of Education

The regional education agency that organizes the annual Madison County Young Author Conference.

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What they’re saying

“The Young Author competition is open to all student's kindergarten through 8th grade. After receiving student submissions, each building selects a number of winners based on their school population.”

— Dr. Liz Niepert, Young Author Coordinator, GCSD9 (riverbender.com)

What’s next

The 38 GCSD9 winners will be invited to attend the 35th annual Madison County Young Authors Conference on April 18, 2026, where they will have the opportunity to share their books and participate in writing-focused activities.

The takeaway

The Young Authors program in Granite City School District 9 fosters creativity, literacy, and a love of writing among students from kindergarten through 8th grade. By recognizing and celebrating these young authors, the district is helping to cultivate the next generation of storytellers and literary talents.