The city of Santa Clarita, in partnership with Santa Clarita Sister Cities, invites local students to submit original artwork, poetry, essays/creative writing, photographs or music for the 2026 Young Artists and Authors Showcase.

The theme of the contest this year is “Voices of Today, Visions of Tomorrow.” Students are encouraged to raise their voices during a historic moment as the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding and Sister Cities International honors 70 years of building global friendships and cultural understanding. It reflects the ongoing journey from the country’s founding ideals toward a more interconnected, peaceful world. The top entries from Santa Clarita will be submitted to Sister Cities International in Washington, D.C., to compete with submissions from other Sister Cities organizations around the world for the grand prize of $1,000 in each category.

To qualify, students must be between 12 and 18-years-old on April 1, 2026. Interested teens may submit one entry per category, along with a completed entry form, by visiting SantaClaritaSisterCities.org. Guidelines and criteria for each category are also outlined on the website. Online submissions are due to Santa Clarita Sister Cities by Friday, March 13.

Santa Clarita students have routinely been successful nationally in this contest. Two students representing Santa Clarita Sister Cities won at the international level:

Sydney Kasahara (Saugus High School): The Language of Friendship – Music

Chloe Pichereau (Academy of the Canyons): Summerdays – Essay/Creative Writing

Santa Clarita Sister Cities is a local organization with a mission to foster international partnerships between the city of Santa Clarita and cities abroad, and to promote mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation through reciprocal youth, cultural, educational, professional, humanitarian and economic programs and exchanges. Santa Clarita is a member of Sisters Cities International, a non-profit organization created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to advance partnerships among communities around the globe and promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation, one individual, one community at a time. The city of Santa Clarita has two international Sister Cities, Tena, Ecuador and Sariaya, Philippines.

For more information on Santa Clarita Sister Cities and the Young Artists and Authors Showcase and to submit an entry, visit SantaClaritaSisterCities.org. For questions about the showcase, please contact Tyler Pledger at (661) 286-4176 or email SisterCities@SantaClarita.gov.