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 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:
Essays can be no more than 3000 characters (approximately 500 words or 1 page of typed text), must be related to the theme provided, and submitted using the field provided in the form. 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.
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.
Prizes are to be determined. This information will be updated prior to the contest launch in January.
The Armed Services YMCA will award a prize 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 2025 annual contest submission period opens January 6, and runs through March 17. 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.
2024 Theme: “Roots of Resiliency”
Military families have to be resilient to meet the challenges that are unique to military life. What is foundational to your family’s ability to be resilient?
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.
Your vote matters! Sign up to help review submissions. Once your registration is approved, you can log in to view submissions.
Register Now
Already registered and received your password? Log in to start reviewing submissions.
Reviewer Login
View Submissions for the 2024 Art & Essay Contest, with works featuring the theme of “Courage.”
The Art Contest is specifically for children grades 1-6. Winners were selected based on age range and received an Apple iPad tablet. The theme for 2024 was “Courage.”
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 2024 was “Courage.”
The 2025 submission period will from January 6 through March 17, 2025. For 2025, our theme will be "The Roots of Resiliency." Please check back in January 2025 for updated submission information.
View All 2024 Creative Works
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.
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.