National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest

Click here to download Poster Contest information  (application, certificates, etc.)
 

Contest Rules:

1. Applicant must be in the 5th grade.
2. Artwork should reflect the theme "Bring Our Missing Children Home". This phrase must appear somewhere on the poster (please refer to samples of winning posters from prior years that are attached to this fact sheet).
3. The theme must be depicted visually in one or a combination of mediums, such as: acrylics, watercolor, pencil, charcoal, magic markers, spray paint, crayons, pastels, etc.
4. The finished poster must measure 11 x 14 inches.
5. The poster must be submitted with a completed application (sample attached), which includes a description of the poster and a brief biography of the artist (neither to exceed 100 words) either legibly written or typed.

Judging Criteria:

1. Complete contest rules must be followed for all levels of competition. Incomplete packages and incorrect sized posters will not be eligible for further consideration.
2. Artwork will be judged on:
   1. Originality of design
   2. Reflection of the contest theme
   3. Use of color and materials
3. Written applications will be judged on:
   1. Level of understanding of the subject expressed
   2. Clarity
   3. Grammar and syntax appropriate to the 5th grade level

Competition Procedures:

1. All phases of the competition used to determine the state finalist for the national judging are the responsibility of the local entities. The state's Missing Children's Clearinghouse Manager will assist in coordinating judging and winner selection. State AMBER Alert Coordinators, local non-profit organizations, and other missing children organizations should be included in the local judging process. Competition may be conducted within the following: schools, school districts, local governing bodies, PTA's, Boys and Girls Club, etc.
2. The state winning contest package must be received by the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Child Protection Division by March 30, 2007 at the following address:

   Ron Laney, Associate Administrator
   Child Protection Division
   810 7th Street, NW
   Washington, DC  20531

   FedEx Zip Code: 20001
   202-616-3637

   
   
3. At the national level, judging will be completed by representatives from the Child Protection Division of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Americans for the Arts, and the law enforcement community.
4. The national award winner will be notified by the Child Protection Division who will also notify the winner's school and the local media outlets.

Awards:

1. Each applicant should receive a certificate of recognition for participating in the contest from the local sponsoring agency. A sample certificate of recognition has been prepared and is available for download from the following web site: www.amberalert.gov. Teachers should print the certificate from the website and present one to each student.
2. Local sponsors will be responsible for duplicating and displaying the winning poster(s) in prominent sites deemed appropriate in the community (i.e. police station, public library, school office, etc.).
3. The single state winner whose poster is selected to go to the national level of competition will receive a national award certificate from the Department of Justice.
4. The single national winner, his/her teacher, and his/her parents will participate in the National Missing Children's Day ceremony at the US Department of Justice to be held on or around May 25, 2007. Transportation and lodging will be provided. The national winner also will receive a national award certificate and a United States Savings Bond. No other awards will be provided by the Department of Justice.

 Winning Poster:

1. The winning poster (original and copies) will be displayed at the Department of Justice, Congressional Offices, and other locations as determined by the Child Protection Division and the Department of Justice.
2. The winning poster may be used in publications, exhibits, displays and on websites as determined by the Child Protection Division and the Department of Justice.
3. The winning poster will be used as the symbol for the National Missing Children's Day ceremony in 2008.  The winner will once again travel to Washington, D.C. in 2008 when his/her poster will be presented as the national symbol for Missing Children's Day, 2008.
4. Photos of the winner and his or her poster will also be available through the Child Protection Division and the Department of Justice and will be posted wherever contest information is available.
5. The national finalists and the winning poster will become the property of the Child Protection Division and the Department of Justice. Any applicable copyrights will be held by those offices.

Contest Dates:

1. January 13, 2007 – AMBER Alert Awareness Day
   1. Begin discussing safety issues with students
   2. Provide poster contest information to 5th grade students
2. March, 2007
   1. All local, regional and state poster competitions completed
3. March 30, 2007
   1. Deadline for local winner contest packages to be received by the Child Protection Division
4. April, 2007
   1. National Judges submit the name of the poster contest winner
5. May 5, 2007
   1. National winner notified
   2. Travel arrangements are initiated for attendance at National Missing Children's Day ceremony  

Lesson Plan Links:

Below, you will find links to child safety lesson plans that can be used to assist you with your classroom instruction.

http://www.icactraining.org/Resources.htm
http://www.netsmartz.org/educators.htm
www.pollyklaas.com

Directions for Certificate Mail Merge:

to insert your student's names as well as your class name, please follow these directions:

1. Create an Excel document with all of your student's names
   1. Make sure you have a column heading at the top of the Excel page
      Example:  Name
2. Save and close the Excel document
3. Print the sample Certificate template
4. Put the Sample Certificates back into the printer
5. Open the Mail Merge Template
6. Click on Tools at the top of the Word document
7. Click on Letters and Mailings, and select Mail Merge
8. This will open up the mail merge wizard which will walk you through the rest of the process. 

   Step 1 of 6:  Document Type:   ● Letters 

   1. Click on Next

   Step 2 of 6:  Select Starting Document:  ● Use the Current Document

   1. Click Next

   Step 3 of 6:  Click on Browse and Open the file and select the recipients

   1. Click on the word document and type your class name over the text that says 'insert class name'
   2. Highlight the text in the document that says 'Student's Name'
   3. Click Next

   Step 4 of 6:  Click on More Items.  This will pull up the column title Name

   1. Click on insert then close

   Step 5 of 6:  Click Next

   Step 6 of 6:  Click Next

   1.  Click Print

Should you have any questions or need further information, please send an email to mc.day.2007@fvtc.edu or contact your state Missing Children's Clearinghouse Manager for assistance. Contact information for the State Missing Children's Clearinghouse Manager can be found on www.ncmec.org.

We welcome any comments or suggestions. If you have any questions, comments, or concern, contact childprotecttraining@fvtc.edu. ©2002 Fox Valley Technical College.