Second Lady Usha Vance has announced a nationwide art competition titled the “Bookmark Design Challenge: Celebrating America’s 250th.” The competition invites students from kindergarten through eighth grade to submit original, hand-drawn bookmark designs reflecting what America means to them.
Vance said, “The Bookmark Design Challenge invites students to reflect on our shared history and begin imagining our future as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.” The initiative is in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
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What is the application process for the Bookmark Design Challenge?
NEA has released an official instruction and a bookmark template for students who want to enroll into the competition.
To apply, each participating student will fill out the official one-page bookmark template that comes with these instructions.
The pdf of instructions also specified the image dimensions and resolution requirements for the images to qualify for winning.
Vance will personally select three national winners whose bookmark designs will be featured during official events commemorating America’s 250th Independence Day anniversary in Washington.
The link that can be used to upload the finished designs is in the PDF. Applications that are not complete or submitted via email will not be considered. The deadline for bookmark submissions is 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
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Who can apply and what winners receive?
According to an official NEA press release, the contest is open to students in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
The competition is structured into three grade categories:
- K-2,
- Grades 3-5
- Grades 6-8.
From all three categories, the Second Lady will choose one student as a winner. The Great American State Fair, the Second Lady’s 2026 Summer Reading Challenge, and other Office of the Second Lady and NEA events will all highlight the winning designs as part of commemorative celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
In addition to national recognition, the selected students will be invited to the nation’s capital to participate in anniversary events surrounding the July 4 celebrations.
“I hope these bookmarks will inspire kids to pick up a book and learn something new about our country,” Vance said in a statement at the NEA.