NACD Poster and Photo Contests
NACD’s Poster Contest gives K-12 students a chance to have their artwork displayed nationally, highlighting conservation district efforts. The contest begins locally, advances to state levels, and national winners are recognized at NACD’s annual meeting.
The 2025 NACD Stewardship Theme, “Home is Where the Habitat Is,” celebrates 70 years of Stewardship Week.
The 2024 Poster Contest, “May the Forest be with You Always,“ is open for state submissions until December 1, 2024.
Poster Contest Flow Chart Download
Classroom presentations are available for download on the Marketplace. You can create a customized district presentation using our Canva templates by following the links below. To get started, simply choose from the options below. Base your presentation information on your local area and audience age appropriate level. Remember: Do not modify or remove NACD branding logos!
Once you’ve finished customizing your presentation, click the “Download” button in the upper right corner and select “Microsoft PowerPoint” as your file format. This will save your personalized presentation directly to your device, making it ready for use.
When using the links, DO NOT FORGET to add your district information where prompted.
- Classroom Presentation 2025 Habitats Canva Template (Suggested 2nd – 5th Grades)
- Classroom Presentation 2025 Habitats Canva Template (Suggested K – 2nd Grades)
- Classroom Presentation 2025 Habitats Canva Template (Suggested 5th – 8th Grades)
- District Classroom Presentation 2024 May the Forest be With You Always – Canva Template
- Marketplace download woes? Need help understanding the contests? Find answers in the Stewardship, Education and Marketplace Guide Presentation for Districts
Click “Use Template for New Design”
- Get Started: Click the link above to access the Canva template and choose “Use template for new design.” If you don’t have an account, sign up for the free version here, which provides access to many templates and features.
- Personalize: Edit text, upload images, and adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to fit your district’s branding. If you have free Canva you may have watermarks when you download the templates. You can avoid this by replacing them with free photos in elements. Do not modify or remove the NACD logos.
- USE! Use Canva for many district needs. Brochures, flyers, posters and more!
- Audience: Tailor the content to suit your local conservation district area and audience age level. Use the “public link” feature to offer view only links. This helps avoid trying to send graphic files that are too large for email.
- Canva Premium: While a basic Canva account is free, consider upgrading to Canva Pro for additional features. You can share a Canva Pro account with up to 5 members.
- Non-Profit/Government Accounts: Currently, conservation districts do not qualify as a non profit, but state associations and foundations often do. If your conservation district is part of a non-profit organization, you may qualify for Canva’s free non-profit program.
We are confident you will really enjoy using Canva to personalize your education program to suit your districts needs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance with signing up, or using the design tools available. stewardship[at]nacdnet.org
- 2024 Poster and Photo Contests Rules
- New for 2024: The Braille Poster Contest, inspired by a 6th grader from Tuscola Conservation District, MI, invites blind and low-vision students to create posters using braille, whether through braille type, labeling, or raised dots. The second new contest is the Additional Assist Poster Contest, which offers support for students needing extra help to complete their posters, promoting inclusivity and conservation advocacy. Support our inclusivity efforts! Join our FUNdraiser and purchase a limited edition ink block style poster.
- Find the Poster Contest Lesson plan in the 2024 Education and Lesson Plans guide!
- The contests welcome participation from students in public, private, and home-school settings. All participants are encouraged to create posters that celebrate inclusivity and the importance of our natural resources.
- Find poster contest and educational material resources on the NACD Marketplace.
- 11″ x 17″ 60 lb. paper is a great size for posters! However, we will accept posters in any size 8.5″ x 11″ or larger.
- All state contest submissions should originate from district-level competitions. In cases where residents are from non-participating districts, reach out to the NACD Stewardship team to facilitate connection with respective state organizers.
- All national contest submission must originate from state-level competitions.
- The national contest offers cash prizes to the top three posters in each category.
- First-place $200.00
- Second-place $150.00
- Third-place $100.00
- Winners are announced in February 2025 at NACD’s Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.
- WINNER CHECKS: NACD will mail the poster contest winner checks and certificates via USPS to the submitting district as part of our mission to promote conservation districts’ direct community engagement. Many districts prefer to present the awards personally at banquets or special events, emphasizing their role in local conservation-based education efforts.
- Questions? Please contact NACD Stewardship and Education team at stewardship[at]nacdnet.org.
GUIDELINES FOR DISTRICT LOCAL CONTESTS
All entries at the local and state-level contest must be submitted with this local to state form along with this contest entry form (placed on the back of each poster) by the due dates set by your local conservation district. Find contact information for your local conservation district on NACD’s Conservation District Directory. All poster submissions must be sponsored by a local conservation district.
Posters for the national contest will only be accepted from state poster contest organizers.
- All entries must be submitted through the online submission links shown below.
- Pictures of the poster will not be accepted. Submissions must be scanned, clear files.
- If you don’t have a scanner large enough, a cell phone is easier to use!
- If you need to know how to scan a document on your phone look at Methods 3 and 4 in this article.
Braille Poster Contest Submission Link
Graphic Design Poster Contest Submission Link
Additional Assist Poster Contest Submission Link
Hand Drawn Poster Contest Submission Link
It’s very important that your file is uploaded with the file name format below. This allows us to categorize the posters and photos in the correct contest for judges.
Name the JPG/PDF in this format: State_CategoryCode_Grade Level_LastName_FirstInitial
Category Codes:
- Braille Poster Contest Submissions (Braille)
- Graphic Design Poster Contest (Digital)
- Additional Assist Poster Contest (Assist)
- Hand Drawn Poster Contest (HD)
Examples: Maryland_HD_10-12_Stanley_M WestVirginia_Braille_2-3_Smith_S
The 2024 NACD Photo Contest is open for submissions until December 1, 2024, with winners announced at NACD’s Annual Meeting in February 2025. The contest is open to all amateur photographers in the U.S. and its territories, who may submit up to five photos in the following categories:
- Conservation Practices (CP)
- Close-up Conservation(CUC)
- Conservation in Action (CIA)
- Agriculture and Conservation Across America (ACAA)
Age Division
- Youth (Y)
- Adult (A)
Photos are judged on technical merit (framing, exposure, clarity) and composition (creativity, imagination). One winner from each category and age division (19+ for adults) will receive a $100 prize, while second-place winners will receive $50. Honorable mentions will also be recognized but do not receive a cash prize. Prizes are sponsored by NACD Auxiliary through proceeds from the Country Store and quilt project.
Submit photo in JPG, PNG, or TIFF format.
What Not to Do:
- Do not send “pictures” of photographs or email submissions.
- Minor digital edits (cropping, red-eye removal) are allowed, but significant alterations may result in disqualification.
- Photos must not have borders, watermarks, or previously published material.
Naming Format: Entries should be named by Division_Category_Last Name_FirstInitial_State_# (e.g., Y_CA_Smith_A_TX_1).
Full instructions are in the contest guidelines. Minor enhancements are allowed, but significant alterations or previously published photos will be disqualified. Entries become NACD property and may be used for promotional purposes. Photographers retain rights to their work.
Questions? Contact NACD at stewardship[at]nacdnet.org.
PAST CONTEST WINNERS
NACD Flickr Albums – find past contest winners here!