Afterschool Alliance is calling on students, families, and afterschool programs everywhere to help design the official 2026 Lights On Afterschool poster — and the opportunity is BIG.
This year’s theme invites you to capture the spirit of afterschool.
Has your program helped you discover a new passion? Build a new skill? Make a lifelong friend? Show what makes your afterschool community special — through your art!
🌟 Why Enter?
The winning artwork will be printed on more than 50,000 posters and displayed at 8,000+ Lights On Afterschool events worldwide. That’s national (and global!) recognition for both the artist and their program.
The Grand Prize Winner Will:
Receive a $500 cash prize
Be featured on the Afterschool Alliance website and blog
Be included in a national press release
Have their program credited on the official 2026 poster
Last year’s winning design above was created by Arya Bhatt from Raritan Valley YMCA in East Brunswick, New Jersey — proof that your local afterschool program could be celebrated nationwide next!
✏️ How to Enter
Entering is easy:
📬 Mail your artwork and completed entry form to:
Afterschool Alliance
Lights On Afterschool Poster Contest
1101 14th Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20005
📧 Or email your submission to:
lightson@afterschoolalliance.org
🗓 Deadline: June 18, 2026
For the full list of do’s and don’ts — plus helpful design tips — visit the Afterschool Snack online.
💡 What Is Lights On Afterschool?
Launched in October 2000 with celebrations in 1,200 communities, Lights On Afterschool has grown into a nationwide movement. Today, more than 8,000 rallies are held annually, drawing over 1 million Americans and widespread media attention.
Lights On Afterschool is a project of the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all children have access to quality, affordable afterschool programs. Since 2001, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has served as Chair of Lights On Afterschool.
🎨 The contest is open to everyone.
Your artwork could help the nation see what afterschool means to you.