ALL IN Poster Contest

The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE) invites all United States public, charter, and vocational school students in grades 1 to 12 to enter its 15th annual ALL IN Poster Contest!

Formerly known as “Inclusion Works”, the contest launches during National Inclusive Schools Week on December 8, 2023 and will end on May 3, 2024.

At the end of the contest, a grand prize winner is selected, and all winning submissions will be displayed in a poster exhibit on our website.

The contest has taught countless students the importance of inclusion for more than 10 years. When all students are included, everyone shines!

Download printable instructions

2024 Contest

Are you ALL IN?

Now, more than ever, we are called to take action and advocate for the equity and inclusion of ALL individuals in our communities—and that starts with inclusive education.

Inclusive education is when all individuals are valued members of their community and have equal opportunities to reach their maximum potential. An inclusive school is one where everyone feels accepted regardless of their learning challenges, differences, or disabilities.

When a community is ALL IN, everyone is included.

We’re asking you to create posters that demonstrate how school communities can be ALL IN. In other words, how can we be inclusive of students with and without disabilities and of different backgrounds and identities in school? How can a classroom be ALL IN? How can extracurricular activities and sports be all in? How can lunch and recess be ALL IN?

Posters can also illustrate why inclusive education is important, what it means to you, and what it looks like in a certain setting at school. We encourage you to talk about your ideas with your friends, teachers, and family before you begin your design. Then, send us your own vision of ALL IN.

Posters should include the phrase, “ALL IN.”

Please help support inclusive education by having your students and friends participate in this year’s contest!

Criteria

Original artwork must be completed by students attending a public, charter, or vocational school in the United States. Students can also work in groups of no more than 4 people.
The artwork must be an original two-dimensional painting or drawing in color. Pictures of sculptures and collages of copyrighted materials will not be accepted. Posters can be designed by hand or drawn digitally, as long as the artwork is entirely original.
Your work should be done on materials that can be sent in a flat envelope without rolling, folding, mounting, framing or laminating it. Choose your materials wisely as your artwork needs to be remain flat for the best quality.
Artwork can be mailed to our office or sent as an email attachment in JPEG, PNG, or PDF format. If you email us your poster, be prepared to mail it to our office if you are selected as a winner.
The size of the poster may not exceed 11 x 17 inches. Check with your teachers and parents on the size of your poster before you begin to draw on it if you are not sure about its size. Otherwise, we will be unable to publish your work.

**Your submission MUST include the following information on the back of the poster or in your email submission to NJCIE*:**

Artist(s) name
School name & address
Grade
Category entry
School contact person’s name
School contact person’s phone number & email address

*If all label information is not included, the poster will not be considered.

Category Entries

Participants, based on their grade level, must choose to enter their submissions into only ONE of the following categories:

Elementary I – artwork completed by students in grades 1-2.
Elementary II – artwork completed by students in grades 3-5.
Intermediate – artwork completed by students in grades 6-8.
Secondary – artwork completed by students in grades 9-12.

Submissions

Posters must be received in the mail or digitally by May 3, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Late submissions will not be considered.

Email submissions to team@njcie.org or mail them to our office at the following address:

NJCIE
c/o Poster Contest Committee
40 Galesi Drive, Suite 8
Wayne, NJ 07470

Tips on How to Submit Your Artwork Digitally:

Lay the artwork on a flat, contrasting surface.
Make sure all corners are flat. If your corners are curling up, roll a piece of tape, place it on the back of the curled-up corner, and tape it down to the surface.
Position the artwork in a place with adequate lighting. Natural light works best, but you can also turn the flash on your camera or adjust the brightness of the photo on your smartphone.
Crop the image to the poster without trimming off its sides—we want to focus on the artwork!
If possible, you can also scan your poster and submit it that way.

If selected, you will be contacted by a member of NJCIE with information regarding mailing your winning poster. Submissions will not be returned; all submissions become the property of NJCIE. No compensation will be provided.

Judging

Posters will be assessed on how well they convey the message of “ALL IN,” originality, creativity, attractiveness, representation of various communities and identities, and if they meet all of the criteria requirements outlined.

Awards

The Grand Prize winner will receive a $250 award. Printed copies of their poster will be distributed to schools throughout the country. The winner’s poster will also be announced and exhibited at NJCIE’s Summer Inclusion Leadership Conference in June.

Each category will have one winner and honorable mentions. Category winners will receive a $50 award. We will display all winning and honorable mention submissions on a virtual exhibit on our website.