The Austin Noon Kiwanis club is providing a donation from their Read Around the World Project for KSMQ Public Television’s Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.

The deadline for contest entries is Friday.

“Through this community partnership of the Austin Noon Kiwanis with KSMQ,” Laura Tjomsland, president of Noon Kiwanis said, “we are helping to build children’s excitement and confidence in the lifelong skills of reading and writing.”

The creativity of each entrant will be celebrated with a certificate of achievement, gift bag and special prizes.

KSMQ president and CEO Marianne Potter agreed with the Kiwanis spokesperson. “Helping children have a way to build writing, reading and drawing skills at home as well as at school is good for the whole community,” Potter said.

“Partnering with KSMQ to do that makes sense,” Potter added.

“The Austin Noon Kiwanis/KSMQ partnership really benefits the children who are participating in this contest,” she said.

The Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest invites children in kindergarten through grade 3 to create stories using their own words and pictures and recognizes their efforts with awards and certificates.

Local winners in each grade level will be submitted for the national public television competition.

Full contest details are available at www.ksmq.org. The contest deadline has been extended to 5 p.m. Friday.

“Children, Priority On” is the focus of the Noon Kiwanis, explained Tjomsland. “This Kiwanis group meets every Wednesday noon at the Elks Club for informative programs, networking and family focused projects,” the club president said. “Their goals include hosting the Austin Summer Family Track and Field Event and serving children and communities here and abroad.”

KSMQ Public Media, Inc. is based in Austin and serves the surrounding areas of Albert Lea, Austin, Mankato, Mason City, Rochester, Winona and other communities throughout southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.