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Free Evidence-Based Resources for Literacy Success
Meet This Year's Winners!
We are excited to share the winners from Massachusetts DYS, Boys Town North Florida, and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Their professionally designed posters are now live and the one page comics will be coming soon. Be sure to check back to see these incredible creations and celebrate the talent and creativity of these young artists.
About the Contest
Every hero has a story — and Clash of the Heroes helps students bring theirs to life.
Clash of the Heroes is a summer literacy program designed for students in juvenile detention or rehabilitation programs. Developed by the National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL), this initiative uses creative writing and character design to build storytelling and conflict-resolution skills.
The contest involves two primary stages: character design and creative writing.
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Part 1: Character design. During this stage, students sketch original, hand-drawn superhero characters.
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Part 2: Creative writing. In this first phase, the students create a story about their characters (e.g., backstory, conflict, resolution).
Students must complete both parts to qualify. Top submissions are selected by each program and published on the NCIL website for public voting. The winner from each program will have their story and artwork professionally presented and shared online.
At the end of the 6-week contest, the submissions are evaluated internally, and the highly rated character-story combinations will be posted on our website, giving students, family members, and educators opportunities to vote for their favorites. The winner each year is the submission with the most votes at the end of the contest. This submission is then redrawn by a graphic designer, and the character, along with the accompanying story, is turned into a one-page comic.
Participating Programs
The National Center on Improving Literacy collaborates with and supports organizations and individuals who share mutual educational interests. As part of that outreach, NCIL has worked since 2018 with educators at the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to offer the Clash of the Heroes comic contest to students enrolled in their summer education program.
In addition to Florida DJJ, the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and Boys Town North Florida (in 2020) have also participated.
Meet This Year Collaborators
