Pasadena Nonprofit Opens Free Sci-Fi Writing Workshops to L.A. County High Schools

Light Bringer Project began offering free science fiction writing workshops to Los Angeles County high school classrooms Sept. 1, opening the 12th season of its Omega Sci-Fi Project.

Each workshop from the Pasadena arts and education nonprofit fills one class period, runs in person or virtually, and is built around general or environmentally themed science fiction and fitted to a teacher’s curriculum. Sessions prepare students for two competitions: The Tomorrow Prize, the general category, and The Green Feather Award, for an environmentally focused story, co-presented by Nature Nexus Institute.

Tomorrow Prize winners receive $250, $150 and $100, with publication in L.A. Parent Magazine for first place. The Green Feather Award carries $250 and publication by Nature Nexus Institute. Certificates are also awarded.

Volunteer judges include novelists, publishers, booksellers, librarians, screenwriters and scientists, the organization said. The top five Tomorrow Prize stories and the top Green Feather story will be read by actors at Vroman’s Bookstore on May 15, 2027, where the writers will be honored.

Founded in 2014 by Sci-Fest LA, the project has introduced thousands of county high school students to the genre and is the only program of its kind in California, the organization said.

Need to know: Omega Sci-Fi Project free science fiction writing workshops and story competitions. Workshops run Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, through Thursday, Feb. 11, 2027; submissions close at 11:59 p.m. PST Friday, Feb. 12, 2027; celebrity readings and honors follow Saturday, May 15, 2027. Hosting and entering are free. Workshops meet in L.A. County high school classrooms, in person or virtually; the May program is at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, where a parking lot sits behind the store. Book at bit.ly/bookascifiwritingworkshop, submit at tinyurl.com/OmegaSciFiProject, read the guidelines. For more, call 626-590-1134 or visit lightbringerproject.org/omega-sci-fi-project.