NCDA 61st Annual Poetry and Art Contest

Click here for the national contest brochure

Charting the Unknown:

Mapping Your Future - Paths, Pivots, and Possibilities

Submission Guidelines & Deadlines

Click Here for the 2026 Poetry and Art Submission Form

Deadline to submit: December 20, 2026

State winners will be submitted to the national contest by February 20, 2027

Poetry Requirements

Acceptable poetic forms, e.g. cinquain, free verse, diamante, haiku, limerick, metered, rhyming, blank verse. 

Submit each poem on a single sheet of paper 8.5″ x 11″ in 12 point font. 

AI-Assisted poems are permitted but must include a disclosure of tool(s) and prompt(s) used. See AI submission guidelines below.

Art Requirements

Lettering: Simple bold lettering is preferred. Captions are to be used to convey the theme, attract attention, and to achieve goals of clarity, vigor, and originality. All lettering will be considered part of the design.

Category 1: Standard use of ink, pencil, poster paints, magic marker, acrylics, and oils. Each poster must be created in 8.5″ x 11″ format, including matte, to be eligible.

Category 2: Use of photos, clipart, graphic art software, collage, cut and pasted paper, and mixed media. Each poster must be created in 8.5″ x 11″ format, including matte, to be eligible. Digital artwork created with the help of AI tools is permitted and only applicable to Art 2 submissions. Full disclosure is required. See AI submission guidelines below.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the contest divisions?

Primary Grades K - 2

Intermediate Grades 3 - 5

Middle Grades 6 - 8

Senior Grades 9 - 12

Adult Student 18 and older enrolled in school

Open Adult 18 and older (teachers, parents, professionals, etc.)

I missed the deadline, can I still submit my entry?

Due to the tight deadlines, late submissions will not be considered. 

How can my submission be disqualified? 

Submissions without a completed and signed official entry form.

Submissions that are not the correct dimensions 8.5” by 11”.

Submissions that are not original and violate copyright.

More than the allotted number of submissions are submitted from a school/district/region. 

Are there prizes? 

Yes! National awards will be given to the first, second, and third place winners and will be recognized on the NCDA website in May 2027. Winning entries will also be on display at the Annual Global Conference in Minneapolis in June 2027.

When will state winners be announced? 

State winners will be announced February 2027.

If I am a state winner, when will the national winners be announced?

 The National Career Development Association will announce winners May of 2027.

I sent an email to oursccda@gmail.com, and I did not receive a response.

 The email is checked multiple times weekly and correspondence is made as soon as we view the email. If you did not receive a response, check your spam. Also if you are a student using your school email address, some districts restrict outside emails. Ask a trusted adult to assist you with sending an email.  

If I am an individual, how do I submit?

Your submissions should be received, with the submission form, by December 20, 2026.