America 250 Art & Essay Competition
Celebrate America’s 250th with the Art & Essay Competition
In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Winnebago County, Illinois invites elementary, middle, and high school students from public and private schools across the county to participate in the America 250 Art & Essay Competition. Centered on the theme “Community and Country,” this opportunity encourages students to creatively reflect on what America’s 250th milestone means to them. To get started, click one of the buttons below to submit your entry for the essay or art contest and review the full competition details and guidelines. One winner will be selected per grade level, cash prizes will be awarded, and select artwork and essays may be publicly displayed or read during official 250th celebration events. Entries are due by May 1, 2026, with winners announced by the end of May.
Art Competition Details
The Education Committee members for America 250; WInnebago County and CIty of Rockford, look forward to seeing visual art pieces created by our students that celebrate the nation’s 250th through their unique perspective.
Who can enter at each school:
- Students in grades K–12
- One entry per student
Deadline and submission guidelines:
- How to submit: Schools will use google form to submit up to ONE winner for each grade level. Only one entry per grade level per school will be accepted. The America 250 Education Committee will select one winner per grade level from for a cash prize.
- In addition to prizes awarded, students may be invited to participate in one or more Rockford events taking place over the course of the summer and fall that celebrate 250 years of the United States.
- Deadline to submit: May 1, 2026
- Artwork must be original.
- Physical pieces may be photographed or scanned (JPEG/PNG). Please photograph 3D pieces from two angles-
- Include student name, grade, school, teacher, and contact info.
- By submitting, submitting school grant’s permission for the student artwork to be displayed in contest materials and exhibitions
Suggested topics (choose one or create your own)
- What freedom means to me
- A person in U.S. history who inspires me
- The next 250 years — my vision for the country
- A place in the United States that tells an important story
- Unity and diversity in American communities
- An invention, idea, or movement that changed the country
- My family’s story and its connection to the American story
- Symbols of the United States — old or new — and their meaning
- How young people can make a difference in the U.S.
- A moment in U.S. history I find meaningful
Artist statement guidelines:
Write in first person; briefly (a sentence or two) explain your idea, materials used, and how the work connects to the 250th theme. A teacher may write for the student if needed.
File & size guidelines:
- 2‑D work: up to 18" x 24" (photo/scan acceptable; JPEG/PNG)
- 3‑D work: photo from two angles + brief materials note
- Digital art: high-resolution PNG or JPEG (300 dpi recommended)
Further instructions and information:
- Each school will utilize school level educators to select and submit one entry per grade level to the education committee through the form linked in these instructions..
- The America 250 Committee will draw one winner for each grade level.
- The committee may choose other entries to be featured in certain formats and events.
- Winners by grade level will be submitted using THIS google form.
- Final winners and their schools will be notified by the end of May.
- In addition to prizes, students may be invited to participate or showcase their artwork in one or more events taking place over the course of the summer and fall that celebrate 250 years of the United States
Essay Competition Details
Who can enter at each school:
- Students in grades K–12
- One entry per student; schools will submit a maximum of one grade level winner per school.
- Deadline to submit: May 1, 2026
Word limits by level:
- Elementary (K–5): 50–150 words (teacher may transcribe for K-1)
- Middle (6–8): 150–400 words
- High (9–12): 400–800 words
Deadline & submission guidelines:
- Deadline: May 1, 2026
- How to submit: Schools will use google form to submit up to ONE winner for each grade level. Only one entry per grade level per school will be accepted. The America 250 Education Committee will select one winner per grade level from for a cash prize.
File & format guidelines:
- Submit as a Google doc, PDF or DOCX; typed preferred.
- Font: readable (e.g., 12 pt Times New Roman or Arial or similar)
- Middle/High: double‑spaced recommended.
- Elementary: typed or neatly handwritten scanned as PDF accepted.
Suggested prompts (choose one or use your own):
- What freedom means to me
- A person in U.S. history who inspires me and why
- If I could change one moment in U.S. history, what would it be and why?
- The next 250 years — my vision for the country
- A place in the United States that tells an important story
- How communities across the U.S. show unity and diversity
- An invention, idea, or movement that changed the country
- My family’s story and how it connects to the American story
- Symbols of the United States — old or new — and their meaning
- How young people can make a difference in the U.S.
Further instructions and information:
- Each school will utilize school level educators to select and submit one entry per grade level to the education committee through the form linked in these instructions..
- The America 250 Committee will draw one winner for each grade level.
- The committee may choose other entries to be featured in certain formats and events.
- Winners by grade level will be submitted using THIS google form.
- In addition to prizes awarded, students may be invited to participate in one or more Rockford events taking place over the course of the summer and fall that celebrate 250 years of the United States.
- Final winners and their schools will be notified by the end of May.
Rules & reminders:
- One entry per student; one entry per grade level for each participating school..
- Work must be original. Brief citations for quoted sources accepted.
- Plagiarism will disqualify an entry.
- By submitting, participants grant permission for their essay to be published in contest materials
