TEACHERS: We hope you will encourage your students to submit their creative work. Students can either submit directly to us, or you can help them and send us their entries. Teachers who submit student entries will receive a copy of the anthology for classroom or personal use. Please consider incorporating the Honoring Our Rivers Student Anthology into your curriculum. You can spend as little as part of one class period, or devote a week-long project to it. It can help students meet Oregon’s Educational Standards for the language arts and science.
Submission Guidelines and FAQs
The submission deadline for the 2025 anthology has closed.
WHO CAN SUBMIT? Any student, age kindergarten through grade 12, is eligible to submit their work. Selected entries will be published in our student anthology alongside esteemed invited Oregon writers and artists. The authors of published pieces will receive a free copy of the anthology and a chance to be featured in upcoming events such as our annual student reading at Powell’s City of Books!
WHAT SHOULD I SUBMIT? We welcome written works (no more than 500 words per entry please) that are typed or clearly printed, and original art and photography. Digital entries are encouraged. One entry per student. A written entry may be accompanied by original artwork.
HOW DO I SUBMIT? It’s easy! Simply fill out the entry form (see link below). We are requesting that all submissions be made electronically. See the step-by-step instructions for details. Please keep a copy of your work. Honoring Our Rivers reserves rights and permissions for printing and reproductions.
Click to download an entry form All entry forms must be signed.
Examples from past Anthologies…
Frequently Asked Questions
How will the entries be judged and by whom?
A panel of teachers, writers, sponsor representatives and local artists will evaluate entries based on content, clarity and relevance.
Do I have to submit work only about rivers?
No. Submissions should focus on the relationship between people and their watershed- the waters, weather, land, plants, animals and habitats that make up our beautiful and fragile river system
What kind of work do you accept?
Original essays, poetry, short stories, black & white artwork or photography: Anything that expresses your thoughts, reflections or feelings about the river. Technical or scientific writing is also encouraged.
Do I have to live in the Willamette Valley to participate?
No – entries are invited from anywhere in Oregon. In fact, this year we are inviting submissions from students in SW Washington!
Can I submit an entry in a foreign language?
There is a special section of the Anthology entitled “River Voices” that is exclusively for entries submitted in foreign languages. In past anthologies, entries in Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Spanish were submitted. Please provide translations for foreign language submissions.
How many entries can I submit?
Only one entry per student – pick your best work. You can submit artwork as a stand-alone entry or to support or clarify your written work.
When will the anthologies be available?
The anthology has traditionally been published in time to distribute books for Earth Day events. This year (2023) will be a bit different since we are getting a late start. If you have an event you would like anthologies for that occurs near our publishing date, let us know in advance so we can get them to you.
Are all entries, regardless of the age of the author, to be evaluated using the same criteria?
Criteria is adjusted for age. Each entry is scored by a minimum of three separate evaluators, and the top-scoring entries in each age group are chosen for publication.
Who will receive a free copy of the anthology?
All area libraries, published entrants, participating schools and teachers will receive a copy at the time of publication. Copies of the anthology are also distributed by our sponsors and partners. If you would like a free copy of the anthology, please contact us.
2026 Honoring Our Rivers Anthology
Elementary School Level
Theme: Who Lives in the River?
Call for Submissions
What lives beneath the surface?
Rivers and streams are home to an incredible variety of creatures—sculpins and salmon fry, caddisfly larvae, crayfish, diving beetles, mussels, otters, herons, beavers, and countless others. These “river critters” help keep waterways healthy, balanced, and full of life. For the 2026 Honoring Our Rivers anthology, we invite students to explore and celebrate the amazing animals that call our rivers home.
This year’s theme invites students to:
Observe and describe the curious, beautiful, and surprising creatures found in rivers and streams.
Explore the relationships between critters and their river habitats.
Reflect on why these species matter—and how our choices affect their survival.
Imagine the unseen worlds beneath rocks, mud, roots, and ripples.
Whether it’s a dragonfly nymph climbing a reed, a crayfish slipping backwards into its hideout, a school of tiny fry flashing in the current, or the quiet work of mussels cleaning the water—every critter has a story worth telling.
Who Can Participate
Students in grades K–12 from across the region are invited to submit writing, poetry, artwork, and photography inspired by river life and freshwater ecosystems.
Submission Categories
Poetry — from playful to reflective
Short Fiction — river critters imagined or observed
Informational Writing — science-based pieces, field notes, species profiles
Visual Art — drawings, paintings, mixed media
Photography — macro, landscape, or creative perspectives
Submission Guidelines
All work must be student-created.
Writing should be no longer than 800 words.
Artwork and photography should be submitted as high-quality digital images.
Students may submit individually or through their teachers.
Multiple pieces per classroom are welcome.
A complete set of formatting guidelines, permissions forms, and classroom resources can be found on our website.
Important Dates
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2026
Selections Announced: July15, 2026
Publication Date: August 2026
How to Submit
Use our online submission form at:
www.clearingmagazine.org/anthology/how-to-submit
or email submissions to editor@clearingmagazine.org with the subject line “2026 HOR Submission.”
Why Participate?
Honoring Our Rivers is Oregon’s long-running student anthology celebrating youth voices and environmental learning. Selected students will:
Be published in the 2026 printed anthology
Receive recognition at our annual student showcase event
Have their work shared with educators, conservationists, and communities across the region
2026 Honoring Our Rivers Anthology
High School Level
Theme: River as Teacher
Call for Submissions
Honoring Our Rivers, Oregon’s student anthology of river-inspired art and literature, invites young people across the state to submit original artwork, poetry, photography, and creative writing for our 2026 edition.
This year’s theme, River as Teacher, celebrates the many lessons we can learn from rivers and the living communities they support. Rivers teach us about movement and change, about persistence and renewal, about cooperation and balance. They remind us that everything in a watershed is connected—and that even the smallest actions can ripple outward.
We invite students to explore the river as a source of knowledge, inspiration, curiosity, and wisdom:
What has a river taught you?
What stories or memories come from spending time near water?
How do river creatures model survival, resilience, or harmony?
What can we learn from the flow, the silence, the seasons, or the unexpected twists of a river’s path?
How have humans, cultures, or communities learned from rivers over time?
Students may respond through personal reflection, imaginative storytelling, scientific observation, cultural exploration, or creative interpretation. All approaches are welcome.
Submission Categories
Visual Art (painting, drawing, mixed media, digital art)
Photography
Poetry
Fiction & Creative Nonfiction
Field Notes, Nature Journals, & Reflections
Graphic Storytelling — comics, illustrated narratives
Who Can Submit?
All K–12 students throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, plus college undergraduates.
Teachers are welcome—and encouraged—to submit class sets.
Why Participate?
Selected works appear in a professionally designed, widely distributed anthology that celebrates young voices and strengthens connections to our rivers and watersheds. Students receive recognition in a statewide publication, and classrooms gain a meaningful interdisciplinary project tied to environmental literacy.
Submission Guidelines
Original work only
One or more submissions per student welcome
Teachers may submit on behalf of students
All art should be scanned or photographed clearly
Writing may be any length, though shorter pieces fit more easily in limited space
Family-friendly content only
Submission Deadline:
April 30, 2026
Submit Online:
http://www.clearingmagazine.org/anthology/how-to-submit
Let the river be your teacher.
We look forward to seeing what you learn, imagine, and create.