WRITE OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR

Write Outside Your Door is a free writing competition co-sponsored by the Missouri Botanical Garden and Gateway Writing Project that authentically integrates place-based writing into the science and English language curriculums.  Write Outside Your Door invites students from grades K - 12 and teacher writers to write about their experiences outside, with nature, and as stewards of the environment.  

The contest opens in March and runs through May, inviting writers to get outdoors and write!  Our winners are recognized at the Missouri Botanical Garden Green Living Festival with a prize pack including a family membership to the Missouri Botanical Garden.   

The 2026 competition is now closed. Learn about our winners.  

GUIDELINES

Writers may submit stories, essays, or poems that creatively address:

  • a special place in nature and why it is meaningful

  • describes an author’s specific experience in nature

  • a piece that reflects your experience with the changing climate

  • a piece that reflects conservation, stewardship, or sustainability

JUDGING CRITERIA

Entries are judged based on:

  • content (how well the theme has been addressed)

  • voice (word choice and style)

  • merits of composition (grammar and organization)

  • Stories and essays should be 1,000 words or less

  • poetry should be 3 - 30 lines

Reach out to us by email gwp@umsl.edu if you would like to schedule a school site visit or access mentor texts that address our prompts.