Articles

During the 2013-14 academic year, Humanities Texas will hold a contest for students to design their own President's Vision posters.

The President's Vision poster series examines the aspirations of significant U.S. presidents and the programs and initiatives that advanced each man’s vision. In late 2012, Humanities Texas sent a complete set of these posters to each accredited secondary school in the state, and to each public library.

As with our posters, each student poster submitted for the contest should identify the "vision" of a U.S. president and use explanatory text and primary sources to illustrate how the president pursued his vision during his term(s). Thus, the project provides students the opportunity not only to expand their knowledge of U.S. history, but also to develop their critical thinking, research, writing, presentation, and media design skills.

Students may select any U.S. president and present their own interpretation of that president's vision.

Eligibility

Any Texas student in grade 6-12 may enter the competition. Students may work individually or in groups of up to three.

Teacher Submission Requirement

Teachers must submit entries on behalf of their students. No teacher may submit more than six posters.

Poster Formats

Posters may be either digital or paper-based. Paper-based posters may include such tangible media as paintings, drawings, two-dimensional collage, photography, and computer-generated art. Digital posters may be created using any number of desktop publishing and design programs. Digital posters may also be created using interactive poster development tools such as Glogster.

Deadline

Paper-based posters must be postmarked by Friday, March 7, 2014, and sent to the following address:

President’s Vision Poster Competition

Humanities Texas
1410 Rio Grande Street

Austin, Texas 78701

Digital and/or interactive posters must be emailed to pv@humanitiestexas.org by Friday, March 7, 2014.

Prizes

Ten winning posters will be selected from the middle school category (grades 6-8), and ten winning posters will be selected from the high school category (grades 9-12). In each category, Humanities Texas will present three first-place prizes of $500, two second-place prizes of $250, and five third-place prizes of $100.

  • The posters receiving first-place prizes from the middle and high school categories will each receive a printed version of his or her poster.
  • The teachers of all prize winners will each receive a printed copy of their students' winning poster.
  • Winning posters will be posted on the Humanities Texas website and announced online.

Judging Criteria

A panel of qualified judges will review the entries and select the winners. Posters will be evaluated on the basis of three criteria: historical accuracy and insight, the selection and use of compelling primary source materials, and creative and effective visual design.

Required Components of All Posters

  • Each poster must be the original design and creation of the student entrant(s).
  • A completed registration form must be submitted with all posters.
  • Each poster must include at least three primary sources that illustrate the “vision” of the president the student(s) has/have selected.
  • Each poster must include a brief essay describing 1.) the “vision” of the president the student(s) selected, and 2.) the programs and initiatives that the president enacted to pursue that vision. The essay must be between 200 and 500 words. All written materials in the poster must adhere to accepted standards for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
  • A "works cited" page must be submitted with each poster showing the sources that the student(s) consulted and used in completing the project. MLA format is preferred.
  • Each primary source featured on the poster must have a caption identifying the title, creator, and date of the source. See the President’s Vision posters for models.
  • Posters submitted without a registration form and/or "works cited" page will be considered incomplete and disqualified.

General Submission Guidelines

  • Teachers must submit all entries on behalf of their students. No exceptions.
  • Teachers must submit a completed registration form and "works cited" page for each submission.
  • No teacher may submit more than six posters.
  • All entries become the property of Humanities Texas and cannot be returned.

Submission Guidelines for Paper-Based Posters

  • When mailing, please include 1.) the poster with the student's or students' full name(s) and school on the back of the poster, 2.) a completed registration form, and 3.) the "works cited" page.
  • Posters must measure between 18 and 24 inches wide and 24 and 36 inches high.
  • If a poster contains objects that make shipping impossible or difficult (tacks, staples, or any other breakable or sharp objects), please mail or email a high-resolution image (300 dpi at 18x24 inches or 24x 36 inches) rather than mailing the original. Do not send original artwork if it contains breakable objects.
  • Do not send posters rolled in a tube. Please send entries flat, encased between taped sheets of posterboard or cardboard.
  • Submissions should be postmarked by Friday, March 7, 2014, and sent to the following address:

President's Vision Poster Competition
Humanities Texas
1410 Rio Grande Street
Austin, Texas 78701

Submission Guidelines for Digital Posters

  • Digital posters may be submitted via email to the following address: pv@humanitiestexas.org. For posters submitted via email, the registration form and "works cited" page must be attached to email along with the poster file.
  • If students chose to develop an interactive poster using an interactive poster development tool such as Glogster, the teacher must submit the URL in the body of an email and attach the completed registration form and "works cited" page. Entries should be sent to pv@humanitiestexas.org by Friday, March 7, 2014.
  • Digital posters may also be submitted via CD, flash drive, or some other form of portable media. Please mail to the following address:

President's Vision Poster Competition
Humanities Texas
1410 Rio Grande Street
Austin, Texas 78701

Contest FAQ's

What are primary source documents, and what can I use on my poster?

Examples of primary sources that students may feature on their posters include letters; manuscripts; excerpts from diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, and documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President; works of art; and historical photographs. Students who create interactive posters may also incorporate audio and video recordings.

Where can I find primary source documents?

Students should be encouraged to use reputable sources when gathering materials for their posters. The following sites are good places to begin research:

How do I write and format captions for the primary sources featured in my poster?

Captions should include: the title of the primary source, who created it, and the year it was created (e.g., Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800). See the President’s Vision posters for examples.

How do I follow MLA style when creating citations?

The Purdue Online Writing Lab has helpful instructions for following MLA format when creating citations and an example of an MLA "works cited" page.

May I submit a group poster? 

Yes. Students may work individually or in groups of up to three.

How many posters may a teacher submit?

A teacher may submit no more than six posters.

How are winners notified?

Winners will be announced via email and/or phone call to the teacher who submitted the entries.

What would disqualify a poster?

  • Entry not the student’s or students' own work.
  • Failure to submit required materials.
  • Failure to follow submission guidelines.
  • Incomplete registration form.
  • Incomplete "works cited" page.
  • Poster submitted without teacher knowledge or approval.
  • Poster submitted after the postmark deadline.
George Washington poster from the President's Vision series.
Rembrandt Peale, Thomas Jefferson, 1800. White House Collection, White House Historical Association.
President Abraham Lincoln, February 5, 1865. Photograph by Alexander Gardner. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
President Theodore Roosevelt, 1903. Photograph by Rockwood Photo Company. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
Franklin D. Roosevelt poster from the A President's Vision series.
President Lyndon B. Johnson Meets with Martin Luther King Jr., December 3, 1963. Photograph by Yoichi R. Okamoto. Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum.
President Ronald Reagan at a White House press conference, October 1981. Photograph ID C4237-6, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library.