National Headquarters
National Headquarters
The annual Armed Services YMCA Art & Essay Contest gives military children a voice. It also serves as a reminder of the sacrifices military children, service members, and their families make for our country.
The Art and Essay contest is open to children of currently serving military (active duty, National Guard, or reserves), disabled veterans, and retired service members (with 20+ years of service).
Submissions are open to children in grades 1 through 12.
The ASYMCA uses an online submission process. Eligible participants can click the link to “Submit an Entry.” The entry form is in two parts: the first part collects the child’s information and includes a button to upload their submission; the second part collects information about their military sponsor.
During the submission period, you will find the link to the submission form at the top and bottom of this webpage.
The submission period runs from April 6 through midnight on July 6, 2026.
The art contest is intended to feature visual art (paintings, drawings, sculpture, mixed media, or original digital art). Since all artwork will be submitted through an online portal, you will need to photograph or scan the art. Children can use any artistic medium or mix mediums to create unique works, however art must meet the following criteria to be accepted:
Art that does not follow the rules listed here will be ineligible and screened out prior to judging.
Essays have the following rules:
Outside these parameters, children have creative license to express themselves using the written word. Poetry, narratives, short stories, or traditional essays are all wonderful ways to tell a story.
Essays that do not follow the rules listed here will be ineligible and screened out prior to judging.
Due to the volume of submissions, art or written works that do not fit the theme presented for this contest will be ineligible and screened out prior to judging.
For artwork, you can upload a png or jpeg file.
No PDF files, please.
The Armed Services YMCA will award an iPad to one child from each category and age range:
We’re happy to answer any questions you might have! You can email us here if you need more information or clarification on the information provided.
The goal of this contest is to bring visibility to military children’s experiences and showcase their talent. To that end, the submitted work may be featured on ASYMCA or Gary Sinise Foundation collateral and events. It is also displayed on the ASYMCA website and may appear in part or in whole on other social channels. We also encourage the display and sharing of submitted works within the local communities and installations where military families are serving.
The 2026 annual contest submission period opens April 6, and runs through July 6. Winners will be announced at the end of April in honor of the Month of the Military Child. Entries may be submitted from military children living in the U.S. and abroad.
2026 Theme: “Growing Up in the Land of the Free”
As America celebrates 250 years, what does growing up in a military family teach you about freedom and responsibility?
Art Contest
The art contest promotes art among military children of all ages, and is now open to grades 1–12 of active duty, disabled, or retired members of the Armed Services, National Guard, or Reserves.
Essay Contest
The contest encourages military children to use creative writing to express themselves. The essay contest is open to military children in grades 1–12 of active duty, disabled, or retired members of the Armed Services, National Guard, or Reserves.
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The Art Contest is specifically for children grades 1-12. Winners were selected based on age range and received an Apple iPad tablet. The theme for 2025 was “Roots of Resiliency.”
Children grades 1-12 are encouraged to participate in the Essay Contest. Winners were selected based on age ranges, and received an Apple iPad tablet. The theme for 2025 was “Roots of Resiliency.”
You are all set! Please remember that only one entry per person is eligible. Additional entries will be disqualified as indicated in the sweepstakes rules.
Your request has been submitted and you are all set! If you have indicated you want us to contact you, a staff member will be in touch with you within the next few days.