Elementary Poster Contest

The Mineta Transportation Institute Elementary Poster Contest invites students in grades 1-6 to convey their knowledge of safe, affordable, and sustainable alternative transportation modes to passenger cars through an artistic, visually compelling image.

	2025-2026 Elementary Poster Contest View & Download the 2025-2026 Poster Contest Flyer.

	Theme: Be a Safety Designer! Every day, kids get to school in lots of different ways—and walking, biking, and rolling are some of the greenest, safest modes of travel. But is your neighborhood ready for safe travel? Are there crosswalks, stop signs, and bike lanes where you need them? And do kids and their families know how to use them safely? This year’s contest challenges YOU to design a traffic garden that helps teach everyone how to walk and roll safely! Use your art and imagination to show us the most important safety skills every kid should know to travel safely in your community. What is a traffic garden? A traffic garden is a playground designed to look like a tiny city. It often has streets, crosswalks, and stop signs. It’s a safe place where kids can practice walking, biking, and learning the rules of the road. Learn more here: https://www.trafficgardens.com/

Prizes and Awards!

Eight winners will be selected: Four from grades 1-3 and four from grades 4-6. All winning posters will be displayed at the annual Mineta Transportation Institute Banquet at San José State University in June. All prizes must be claimed by the end of the academic school year in which the entries were made.

People’s Choice Awards

The People's Choice Awards will go to the top-voted poster in each group. Based on judges' scores, we will publish the 4th-10th place posters from each group online, where people can vote for their favorite. The poster with the most votes from each group will receive a $50 gift card.

Elementary poster contest prizes and awards

Ready to Participate?

Participants must be students enrolled in any U.S. school (grades 1-6). Winning posters will be selected by a panel of impartial judges. The competition is open from September-December annually.

Group 1: Grades 1^st - 3^rd	Group 2: Grades 4^th - 6^th
Posters must be a standard poster board size 22 x 28 inches (If acquiring these posters is a financial burden, please contact MTI's Alverina Weinardy for assistance) Posters can be illustrated vertically or horizontally Media: paint, crayon, felt pen, markers, cut paper, and other art supplies (no printed components may be used) Only one entry per student A photo of the completed posters should be submitted using the form at the bottom of this page	Poster dimensions 18 x 24 inches (poster setting) Posters can be illustrated vertically or horizontally Digital poster contest- participants may use PowerPoint, Paint, Spark, or any another poster-making application Posters must be submitted in PDF format Only one entry per student Posters must be submitted using the entry form at the bottom of this page

Group 1: Grades 1^st - 3^rd

Group 2: Grades 4^th - 6^th

Posters must be a standard poster board size 22 x 28 inches (If acquiring these posters is a financial burden, please contact MTI's Alverina Weinardy for assistance)
Posters can be illustrated vertically or horizontally
Media: paint, crayon, felt pen, markers, cut paper, and other art supplies (no printed components may be used)
Only one entry per student
A photo of the completed posters should be submitted using the form at the bottom of this page

Poster dimensions 18 x 24 inches (poster setting)
Posters can be illustrated vertically or horizontally
Digital poster contest- participants may use PowerPoint, Paint, Spark, or any another poster-making application
Posters must be submitted in PDF format
Only one entry per student
Posters must be submitted using the entry form at the bottom of this page

Judging Criteria

Poster must adhere to the annual theme
Must show safe transit/ transportation practices
Creativity and originality
Catchiness of incorporating the theme as a motto, tag line, or hashtag
Visual appeal (i.e. layout, color selection, organization)
Spelling and message clarity
Quick tip: for digital entries, remember to reduce the file size for easy upload

Important Dates
December 12, 2025	Poster submittal deadline at 11:59PM (PT).
February 9, 2026	Winners announced and prizes coordinated with winning students. To claim their prizes, legal guardians must fill out a W9 form.
April 30, 2026	All prizes must be claimed.