Scroll down to see news, events and opportunities for all grades.
Art Poster Contest
| Contest Theme: “No Judgment, Just Help” |
| “No Judgment, Just Help” is more than our theme—it’s the mission of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The 988 Lifeline is a vital resource for families and youth to get support when someone is struggling with problems like stress, depression, and anxiety. We’re partnering with the Maryland Department of Health and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to share the importance of reaching out for help when needed. To participate, Maryland students should create artwork that illustrates this message of hope. The winning artwork will become the official 2026 Children’s Mental Health Matters Campaign poster, inspiring people statewide to reach out for support. |
All Maryland students up to the age of 18 are invited to participate.
The contest deadline is February 6, 2026.
See contest website for specifications and rules.
Choose Respect Video Contest
Open to secondary students, this contest challenges teens to create an original video promoting awareness of dating violence/abuse among teens. Videos can be in English or Spanish and must be 50-70 seconds in length. Top prize is $1,000.
Deadline is Sunday, February 15, 2026.
Learn more and enter here!
Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest
High school students from across the Washington Metropolitan Area are invited to submit poems to the 2026 Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest.
To participate, your entry must be no longer than one page, single-spaced 12 point Times New Roman. Submit your poem in a Word document (.doc or .docx), and include the title of the poem in the file name (e.g., The_Red_Fern.doc).
Submissions
- Topic: “What Is Humanity?”
- Deadline: February 20, 2026, by midnight ET
- Submissions must include author’s name, home address, phone number, e-mail address, school, grade (9, 10, 11 or 12), and English/writing teacher’s name on the application form (not the Word document).
- Poems must be submitted electronically at this link.
Qualifications
- Author must be a high school student (public, private or homeschooled, grades 9-12, in the 2025-26 school year) at time of entry.
- Author must live in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C.
- Only one submission per author.
- Headshot is required with submission.
- The entry cannot have been published elsewhere. It must be an original and sole work of the author.
- The poem must not be generated by artificial intelligence.
- By submitting the entry, the author is granting the Gaithersburg Book Festival a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, transmit, and exhibit the poem, and any portions thereof, via any medium without financial compensation.
Prizes
- Up to 12 poems will be selected as finalists. The finalists will have their poems posted on the Gaithersburg Book Festival website prior to the Book Festival. They also will be asked to record a video of themselves reading their poem for publication on our website (which also requires a signed waiver).
- The top three poems will be announced at the Gaithersburg Book Festival, on Saturday, May 16, 2026. First, 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates, respectively. A fan favorite poem, selected by voting on the website, will receive a $25 gift certificate.
If you’re interested in receiving an annual notice about contest, please email writingcontest@gaithersburgbookfestival.org
Montgomery County ‘Heads Up, Phones Down’ Teen Video Contest
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is hosting its annual “Heads Up, Phones Down” contest. The video contest invites high school students to create short videos promoting the importance of focusing on their surroundings instead of their phones while diving or walking. Students can win prizes worth up to $800 and earn up to five Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for their efforts. MCDOT will be accepting entries of 30-second Public Service Announcements (PSAs) through Saturday, Feb. 28.
County public and private high school students are eligible to submit contest videos in English or Spanish. Entries can be submitted individually or from a group of up to four students.
“Texting while driving and walking continue to cost lives,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Young people have the power to change that by speaking up and setting a new standard. Through the ‘Heads Up, Phones Down’ video contest, students can use their creativity to send powerful messages to their peers that promote safe behaviors and to put their phones away and focus on the road.”
Submissions will be grouped into two categories: individual or group projects.
- Individual entries can win an Apple Mac Book Air, an Apple Watch, or tripod.
- Winning group submissions will split an $800 grand prize, $400 second prize, and $200 third prize, with a Visa gift card for each member.
Students can submit their entries on the online entry form. Videos must be submitted via YouTube as a public video so it can be reviewed. Students also may qualify for up to five SSL hours for successfully completing an entry.
“Taking your eyes off the road for even a moment can put yourself and everyone around you at risk,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), texting while driving can increase a teen’s risk of crashing by 23 times. NHTSA also reports that teens are two-and-a-half times more likely to engage in risky behavior while driving when other teenagers are in the car with them. ‘Heads Up, Phones Down’ can have a real impact on teen behavior by encouraging students to speak up about distracted and unsafe driving.”
Winning contestants will be visited by MCDOT staff and will have their videos posted on MCDOT’s Safe Routes to School website on Monday, March 16. Last year’s winning videos can be viewed online.
Visit the contest website for more information at montgomerycountymd.gov/HUPD.
Send contest-related questions to pedestrian.safety@montgomerycountymd.gov.
For information on MCDOT programs and services:
Subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter
Keep It Safe Student Video Contest
Keeping it Safe (KIS)
Make a video about underage drinking – Due March 31, 2026
The Keeping It Safe Student Video Contest (Deadline: March 31, 2026) is now open! Students may earn 5 SSL hours for quality video submissions about the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Interested students may view the contest rules and additional information at this website.
SSL Hours Guidelines
The 2025-2026 Keeping It Safe (KIS) Coalition Video Contest is now open! This contest invites public and private Middle School and High School student teams to create a 30-second PSA from one of the following topics:
- Topic 1: Standing Your Ground: Fighting Peer Pressure from Friends to Drink
- Topic 2: How Does Under-21 Alcohol Use Affect Your Future
- Topic 3: Social Media’s Impact on Under-21 Drinking
Student teams (of at least two students) who submit a quality video entry to the contest will earn 5 SSL hours. Student teams will be awarded SSL hours in May 2026 if their submission meets all the contest requirements.
Video Entry Rules
- All entries must be 30 seconds in length. Slates and credits cannot be overlaid onto the PSA or included in the 30 second message allotment. Entries over 30 seconds will be disqualified.
- Entries should not include copyrighted images without permission. Copyright materials include, but are not limited to magazines, books, DVDs, websites, films, YouTube, and music.
- Background music and/or sounds should not interfere with any spoken language
- Submissions must reflect thoughtful planning, insight into material researched, and accurate coverage of the content.
- Entries should use creative cinematography and be persuasive to encourage the audience to pay attention to the message and act on it.
- Only one entry per student group.
- All entries must have a sponsoring teacher. No individual entries will be accepted.
To Enter:
- Create a video that follows all of the submission guidelines.
- Upload your video and include link on submission form. Links that are broken will be disqualified.
- Submit the Contest Submission Form.
- Submit a Student Video Contest Consent and Release Form per each participating student.
Check out these Award Winning Videos for inspiration!
All submissions will be reviewed by a judging panel, with cash prizes going to 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and an honorable mention. In addition, there will be one “Most Liked” video that will receive a separate award. Winners will be contacted via email or by phone once the winning entries have been selected. Prizes will be awarded at a reception hosted by Montgomery County’s Alcohol Beverage Services and the Police Department in early May.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding the contest, contact:
Roddy Aguirre
240-777-6657
Legislative Scholarships
All state legislators offer these annual scholarships to constituents in their districts. Check with your Delegates and Senators to learn more and apply.
The application period is now open for my 2026–2027 Legislative Scholarships! Each year my office awards scholarships to District 17 residents pursuing higher education.
Click here to access the application form and the eligibility requirements: https://forms.gle/v7vmEXjESPNxa45b7
The deadline to apply is May 31, 2026.
Contact our office with any questions.
You can also check for grade specific information at the following links:
Check out the Student Engagement Committee!