Abstract: Scientific literacy encompasses the ability to read scientific literature and to effectively communicate scientific knowledge and reasoning via writing, speaking, and other means. This skill comprises a key goal of K-12 education, as borne out by educational standards worldwide (cf. The Next Generation Science Standards followed by U.S. schools). Advancing astronomical literacy provides a compelling gateway to advancing scientific literacy overall, as the subject of Astronomy is both interdisciplinary and very popular. In this presentation, I propose the development of an astronomical writing contest for students attending secondary school. Such a contest would engage students in active writing projects suitable to their grade levels. In my own science classes, I have obtained impressive results with the student writing that I assigned and mentored (cf. https://sites.google.com/site/sciencegazette/ap-physics?authuser=0, http://galacticinquirer.net/). For the proposed competition, writing genres could include research reports, essays, book reviews, speculative fiction, dramatic scripts, poems, and musical lyrics for optimal inclusion. Potential partners could include national astronomical societies, observatory consortiums, library organizations, telescope manufacturers, textbook publishers, and other supporters of astronomical inquiry. These prospects will be discussed within the context of other student writing contests that have been identified.
