Minnesota Students Won Author Project Contest

Twenty-two elementary students authored a published book on community survival and food sovereignty.

Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Homeschooling

Screen-print poster illustration of a book with a pine cone silhouette on the cover, celebrating a community-led student authoring project. — Students from Minnesota's Oshki Ogimaag Community School won the 2026 Minnesota Author Project Contest for their collaborative book on community survival. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The book How to Snare Waabooz, written by 22 students in grades K-5 at Oshki Ogimaag Community School, won the 2026 Minnesota Author Project Contest. The project focuses on themes of community survival and food sovereignty.

Why it matters

This award recognizes the collaborative power of student-led projects in education, highlighting how children can engage with complex cultural topics through literacy. It underscores the value of community-based publishing in fostering student achievement.

The winning book features the creative work of 22 students in grades K-5, who spent months drawing, dictating, and revising text. The project was published in spring 2026 via a partnership with Minnesota Children's Press.

The players

Oshki Ogimaag Community School

This educational institution supported 22 students in grades K-5 during the creation and publication of their award-winning book.

Minnesota Children's Press

Based in Grand Marais, this organization collaborated with student authors to publish the book How to Snare Waabooz.

The details

Students at Oshki Ogimaag Community School collaborated to write, illustrate, and edit their book, eventually presenting it as a gift at a parent appreciation ceremony. The initiative involved an intensive process of revising images and text to explore critical themes of survival and food sovereignty.

The book was published in spring 2026.
The school received the award notification letter in fall 2026.
The award was officially announced on October 9, 2026.

Culture Shift

This achievement reflects a broader cultural shift toward valuing student-led narratives and localized storytelling in education. It highlights how community-integrated projects are increasingly recognized alongside traditional professional publishing efforts.

This project offers a practical template for parents and educators looking to integrate hands-on literacy into their home or classroom curriculum. Families may consider replicating the student-led publishing process to build essential research and creative skills in young children.

The takeaway

Student-led publishing projects demonstrate that children can produce sophisticated work when given the opportunity to explore community values. Educators and parents can implement similar collaborative writing cycles to foster deep engagement with local themes and academic skills.