North Allegheny is truly blessed to be populated with an extensive population of extremely talented creators, artists, writers, composers, and photographers alike.

Through GOAL opportunities, students are given fantastic outlets to showcase these skills, like contests that stretch across the nation.

This March, NASH GOAL is offering six opportunities to enter work in the fields of writing, photography, drawing/painting, among other fields in contests.

“The contests are a way for them to get some feedback from an audience outside of a school setting,” said Mrs. Lombardi, who is responsible for organizing many of the beneficial contests available to GOAL students. “So instead of just writing an essay for a teacher or a poem for a class, you can get some feedback from an outside source.”

Deadlines are swiftly approaching for many of the GOAL opportunities highlighted in the March Focus Meeting. Due on March  25, the Fairchild Challenge tasks students to make their prom green. Hosted by Phipps Conservatory, students must create a poster or written report that proposes a plan for an environmentally friendly prom or after-party including a timeline as well as an estimated budget.

The next deadline looming ever nearer is that of the Young Playwrights Contest. Students are challenged to write an original play of their own, limited to one act. Final drafts are due on March 31 to any young writers interested.

Available to seniors only, the Landmarks Scholarship offers a $6,000 scholarship to students who show involvement in their community and deep care about the Pittsburgh region. The scholarship is funded by the Brashear Family Named Fund, the McSwigan Family Foundation Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, and the Landmarks Scholarship Fund. Applications are due April 17.

Both due on April 25, the deadlines for the Ayn Rand The Fountainhead Essay Contest and the Ayn Rand Anthem Essay Contest are swiftly approaching. Ayn Rand is the author of thought-provoking novels, and students now have the opportunity to write essays on two of Rand’s most popular novels. Students are to pick one of three prompts for either of the novels, Anthem or The Fountainhead.

Another opportunity for students to flex their creative muscles is The Chemistry of Paper Illustrated Poem Contest. Sponsored by the Southern Arizona Local Section of the American Chemical Society, participating students are tasked with writing and illustrating a poem using the theme, the chemistry of paper. The poems cannot be more than 40 words, but they can be in any of the following styles: haiku, limerick, ode, ABC poem, free verse, end rhyme, blank verse. Possible topics include bioplastics, cellulose, plastic, polymer, fiber, pulp, lignin, and/or slurry. The submission must be written and sent to the posted PO Box by May 3.

Some of these contests stretch to a national level, so students often wonder it they are worth entering. When asked, though, Mrs. Lombardi said that she has seen “a lot of incredible success stories.”

Mrs. Lombardi works hard to make sure that NA students have access to all these fantastic opportunities, and she enjoys doing the work.

“I love it, I absolutely love,” said Mrs. Lombardi. “We’ve had students win thousands of dollars through these prizes, we’ve had students win trips, we’ve had students get published in national magazines, so I really enjoy it because it’s a very individualized activity that I can help students to excel in an area that of particular interest to them.”

The closest of the deadlines is March 31, so if you’re interested in cash prizes, scholarships, and high-regarded bragging rights, get creating!