ALL IN Poster Contest 2027
Student Poster Competition – 18th Annual Edition
The organization All In for Inclusive Education, formerly known as NJCIE, is accepting entries for its 18th annual ALL IN Poster Contest. The competition invites students to use their artistic skills to explore the meaning and importance of inclusive education and to communicate how schools can become places where every student feels welcomed, respected, valued, and included.
Through this annual initiative, students are encouraged to think about the experiences of children with and without disabilities and to consider how differences in background, identity, and ability can be embraced within the school community. Participants are asked to express these ideas through an original poster that communicates the value of learning and participating together.
Entry Fee: No entry fee is listed on the official competition page. Applicants should consult the official rules for any updates.
Submission Deadline: February 5, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. The official website does not specify a time zone.
Eligibility: Students in grades 1–12 attending public schools, charter schools, or vocational schools in the United States.
Geographical Restriction: This is a United States-based competition. It is open to eligible students attending the specified types of schools in the U.S. It is not an international competition, and students attending schools outside the United States are not eligible under the published requirements.
1. Competition Theme: “Are You ALL IN?”
The central theme of this year’s contest is “Are You ALL IN?” Students are invited to interpret this question through artwork that celebrates inclusive education.
The poster should communicate how students with and without disabilities can learn, grow, and participate together. It may also explore how schools can create an environment in which students from different backgrounds and with different identities are treated as equal members of the community.
Participants may draw inspiration from everyday school life, including:
- Students learning and working together in the classroom.
- Friendships and social interaction among students with different abilities.
- Sports, clubs, and extracurricular activities in which everyone can participate.
- Lunch periods, recess, school events, and other shared experiences.
- The importance of accessibility, understanding, respect, and equal opportunities.
- Ways teachers, classmates, and school communities can make everyone feel included.
The theme is open to creative interpretation, but the artwork should clearly connect with the idea of inclusive education.
Important: Every poster must contain the exact words “ALL IN.” The phrase should be included as part of the poster design.
2. Competition Categories
Students must select the category that corresponds to their current grade level:
- Elementary I: Grades 1–2
- Elementary II: Grades 3–5
- Intermediate: Grades 6–8
- Secondary: Grades 9–12
Each participant may enter only one category. Entries will be considered within the appropriate grade-level division.
3. Artwork and Technical Requirements
The contest is intended to showcase original artwork created by students. Entries must meet the following requirements:
- Artwork must be original and created by the student or participating student group.
- Both individual submissions and group submissions are accepted. A group may include up to four students.
- The accepted formats are original, two-dimensional, full-color paintings and drawings.
- Works may be created by hand or as original digital drawings.
- The maximum poster dimensions are 11 × 17 inches.
- The artwork must be submitted flat and must not be rolled or folded.
- Posters must not be mounted, framed, or laminated.
The following types of submissions are not accepted:
- AI-generated artwork.
- Artwork containing any part created with artificial intelligence.
- Photographs of sculptures.
- Collages made using copyrighted materials.
The prohibition on AI applies to the creation of the submitted work, not simply to the use of an AI image as the entire final poster. Participants should ensure that no part of their artwork has been generated using AI.
4. Submission Procedure
Entries may be submitted in either of the following ways:
A. By Email
The artwork may be sent as an attachment in one of these file formats:
- JPEG
- PNG
Email address: info@allinforinclusiveed.org
B. By Postal Mail
Original artwork may be mailed to:
All In for Inclusive Education
c/o Poster Contest Committee
250 Passaic Ave, Suite 220
Fairfield, NJ 07004
United States
Students who submit a digital copy by email should be prepared to send the original physical artwork by mail if their work is selected.
5. Required Information
Every submission must include the following information:
- Name of the student artist or all participating group members.
- Name of the school.
- School address.
- Student’s grade level.
- Selected competition category.
- Name of the school’s contact person.
- Contact person’s telephone number.
- Contact person’s email address.
It is important to provide all requested information. Entries with missing information may be considered incomplete and may be disqualified.
6. Awards and Recognition
The contest offers cash awards and recognition in the following categories:
- Grand Prize: $250
- Category Winners: $50 for each category winner.
- Honorable Mentions: Selected in each category.
The Grand Prize-winning poster will receive additional exposure: it will be distributed to schools nationally. The winning artist will also be announced, and the artwork will be exhibited at the Inclusion Leadership Conference in March 2027.
Winning entries and honorable mentions will also be featured in a virtual exhibition.
7. Judging and Evaluation
Submitted posters will be evaluated according to several aspects of artistic and thematic quality. The judging criteria include:
- Message: How clearly the poster communicates the importance of inclusive education.
- Originality: The uniqueness of the concept and the student’s own creative approach.
- Creativity: The imagination and inventiveness demonstrated in the artwork.
- Visual Appeal: The overall presentation and effectiveness of the poster.
- Representation: How the artwork reflects different communities, backgrounds, and identities.
- Compliance: Whether the submission follows the contest’s technical and participation requirements.
A successful entry should not only be visually engaging but should also communicate a meaningful message about inclusion.
8. Important Information About Artwork Ownership
Participants should carefully review the competition’s ownership conditions before submitting their work.
According to the published rules, all submitted artwork becomes the property of ALL IN and will not be returned. No compensation will be provided for submitted works.
This condition applies to the submitted artwork and should be considered before entering the competition.
9. Organizer and Contact Information
Organizer: All In for Inclusive Education
(Formerly New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education – NJCIE)
Email: info@allinforinclusiveed.org
Telephone: +1 (732) 613-0400, extension 2
