KidSpirit provides a unique open forum for young people to explore life’s big questions, and award recipients represent the wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and interests that make up the magazine’s global community. This year’s award-winning pieces include a story about meeting teen leader and Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai; a probing analysis of the role of language in shaping our perception of reality; and a Pakistani teen’s reflections on her trip to the Pakistan-India border. Winners in the Interfaith Connections section include an article exploring Buddhist thought and a personal essay on a Jewish contributor’s evolving conception of God. The 26 young recipients of this year’s awards come from eight different states and four countries.

The PerSpectives award, the only award reserved for an adult author, goes to renowned theoretical physicist and award-winning author Dr. Marcelo Gleiser. Dr. Gleiser’s essay “The Mystery Is Out There,” penned exclusively for KidSpirit, invites readers to contemplate the innumerable questions — rather than answers — raised by scientific discovery.

KidSpirit’s young editors chose the award winners in a youth-led voting process. Members of each of the magazine’s editorial boards — from the New York Editorial Board to editors from Massachusetts to Mumbai — selected their favorite pieces from the sections of KidSpirit’s quarterly magazine: Features, Media, The Big Question, Awesome Moments, Poetry, Interfaith Connections, PerSpectives, and Art. In keeping with KidSpirit’s inclusive editorial process, the awards represent the efforts of a diverse cross-section of contributors.

Award-winning pieces will be published in a full-color Best of KidSpirit Online volume in September. For a complete list of winners, go to kidspiritonline.com/press.