NCDA 60th Annual Poetry and Art Contest

The Evolution of Work:

Careers in the Past, Present, and Future

Submission Guidelines & Deadlines

Poetic Form: 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. 

Art Category 1 (C1): 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.

Art Category 2 (C2): 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.

School Entry Deadline: December 20, 2025

State Winners will be submitted to the National Contest: February 20, 2026 by SCCDA

Click here for the Entry Form

Frequently Asked Questions 

How many entries can I submit as a school/building coordinator from my school? 

Due to the volume of entries, a maximum of three (3) submissions per category (poetry, art 1, art 2)  for each age division will be allowed.

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 2026. Winning entries will also be on display at the Annual Global Conference in Atlanta in June 2026.

When will state winners be announced? 

State winners will be announced February 2026.

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

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

 The email is checked multiple times daily 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, 2025.