River of Words (ROW) is a free annual poetry and art competition run by the Center for Environmental Literacy at Saint Mary's College of California. Students ages 5–19 submit original poems or artwork inspired by nature, the environment, and their local watershed.
Categories:
- Poetry: Maximum 32 lines (or 3 minutes for signed ASL); submitted online; English and Spanish accepted
- Art: Any medium (paint, pencil, ink, photography, collage, computer art, etc.); must be physically mailed to Saint Mary's College
Age divisions (4 categories): K–2nd grade, 3rd–5th grade, 6th–8th grade, 9th–12th grade
Awards: Grand Prize, Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up in each age category for both poetry and art; approximately 50 finalists per category. Specialty prizes include International, Shasta Bioregion, One Square Block, and others.
Students may submit up to 5 poetry entries and 5 art entries (10 total). AI-generated work is not eligible.
The competition opens around October 15 each year and closes January 31. Residents of Georgia and Arizona submit through state-specific portals.