WCAAD Charcie Chan Won the 2025-26 National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Three pieces of artworks produced by WCAAD 16-year-old student Charlie Chan won the 2025-26 National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards including Gold Key and Honorable Mention.

Gold Key

Please Help (Drawing)

“Please Help” was created as a statement critiquing economic inequality and societal apathy. The piece responds to how we live in a system where the rich get richer while the poor are pushed further to the margins. An imbalance often ignored. Charcie uses a bright sticky note as a visual metaphor for the way society attempts to cover up deep, structural issues with superficial gestures, allowing us to carry on unbothered. The work highlights the absurdity of this detachment, especially in Los Angeles, where homelessness is a monumental crisis that many choose not to confront.

Honorable Mention

Fragile Peace (Drawing)

Honorable Mention

Girlhood (Drawing)

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Awards give students opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and, for nearly a century, have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country. Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal with Distinction, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards. A list of all the National Medalists is published on their website each spring including up to 10,000 in scholarship prizes.