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BHM Poster Contest

GREAT VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT 2026 – BLACK HISTORY MONTH POSTER CONTEST
Great Valley School District offers students (K through 12) the opportunity to participate in a poster contest focused on Black History. The goal of the contest is to encourage students to learn more about the contributions of Black people in our society and to highlight students’ talents. The contest has both an art component and a short writing component. 


Great Valley School District is proud to partner with Neighbors in Black and White, Inc., (NiBW) on this initiative. NiBW is a locally managed 501c3 non-profit dedicated to sharing a message of hope that people of different backgrounds can live together in unity and be a force for racial justice and inclusion throughout life. www.neighborsinblackandwhite.org

GOALS:

The goals of the Black History Month (BHM) Poster Contest include:

  • To further our efforts to build stronger connections between people of all backgrounds by recognizing the contributions of Black people in our society – today and in the past. 
  • To move beyond words to action and support non-profit organizations that help further efforts to value Black people in America.

DATES/DEADLINE: 

  • The poster competition will be launched in December and will continue through January 31st
  • Students should submit their completed work and accompanying documents in a sealed envelope/container to their school’s main office by January 31st
  • Volunteers from GVSD and/or Neighbors in Black and White, Inc., will come to each school to scan the posters and written submissions and forward them to the judges by February 6th

PARTICIPANTS: 

  • Students from all schools within GVSD are welcome to participate. Entries will be judged according to level: elementary, 5/6 center, middle, and high school.
  • Teachers and administrators within GVSD are asked to encourage/support the students in participating.

AWARDS: 
Individual Awards by School: A total of 7 awards in the amount of $150 each will be given throughout the District;
one at each school (Charlestown, General Wayne, KD Markley, Sugartown, 5/6 Center, Middle, and High School). 
If multiple students work on posters together, the award will be split equally between those students.


Non-Profit Award: Each participating student will also need to research and recommend a non-profit organization 
to be considered for a donation of $250. These non-profits must exist to further efforts to value Black people in 
America in some way. In addition, an award of $150 will be given to one student within the District that 
nominates the non-profit that wins the Non-Profit Award.


INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Research the contributions of Black people in our society – both past and present. 
  2. Research non-profit organizations that have a goal of furthering efforts to value Black people in America in some way. Select one non-profit to nominate for the non-profit portion of the award.
  3. Design and create a poster reflecting what you learned from your research.
  4. Write a summary of your work (one or more paragraphs) to include:
    1. Description of the poster you created.
    2. Explanation as to why you believe the non-profit you selected should receive a donation.
  5. IMPORTANT: Include the name of your school, your grade, your phone number and email, and your name in your summary AND on the back of your poster. (Note that students may work together and split the award, if desired. Please provide information for all participating students.)
  6. Submit your poster and summary in a sealed envelope/container to the school’s main office by January 31st

SELECTION PROCESS:

  • A diverse panel of judges has been assembled to assist in identifying winners. This panel includes schoolrelated individuals, as well as judges from the broader GVSD community*.
  • Posters/donation proposals will be judged based upon the degree to which the student(s) followed all of the instructions noted above; keeping in mind that the primary goal is to help us build stronger connections between people of different backgrounds by recognizing the contributions of Black people in America –today and in the past.

POSTER DISPLAY/AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • Each individual school will display the posters during Black History Month (February). 
  • Winners will be notified by February 16th. Winners will also be announced during a GVSD Board meeting (typically in April) and their work will be displayed at the District-wide Art Show in May.
  • Posters remain at individual schools throughout the month of February for display during Black History Month and are forwarded to the Art Department at Great Valley High School in early May to be displayed at the district-wide Art Show.
  • After the Art Show has concluded, posters are returned in early June to individual schools to be given to the students that submitted them.
  • Donations to the winning non-profit organization will be made as soon as administratively possible following the announcement of award winners. 

MORE INFORMATION:

  • For questions or more information about the Black History Month poster contest, contact Neighbors in Black and White, Inc.: neighborsinblackandwhite@gmail.com or 610-909-6848.

* PANEL OF JUDGES INCLUDE:

  • Community leaders:
    • Anita Cason Friday, Owner of Open Hearts: A Path for Racial Healing
    • Cheryl Miles, Founding Member, Black Women of Chester County in Action (BWCCA)
    • Guillermina Rios, Associate Director of Social Impact, YMCA of Greater Brandywine
    • Lynn Rothenhoefer, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Immaculata University
    • Alex Tavangar, Mainline NAACP
  • GVSD Teachers: 
    • Maureen Pankowski-Clark (1ST Grade – KDM and GVSD CDI Council Member)
    • Paige O’Keefe (Art – 5/6 Center)
  • GVSD CDI Council Member and co-founder of Neighbors in Black and White, Inc: Shannon Maroney-Garrett
  • Parents: Harriet Ayaode, Stevie Lewis, Dee Nimmagadda, Tiana Threadgill (GVSD CDI Council Member and GVHS PTO President)
  • Student volunteers: Kira Garrett (Student Program Chair for the BHM Contest at GVHS); Shaktinetra Senthil Kumar (Youth Ambassador); Ben Garrett (Youth Ambassador)