2023-2024 POSTER CONTEST

The 2022-2023 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest Winner

THE 2024 THEME HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED:  "Driving Safely Into the Future"

The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) conducts the New York School Bus Safety Poster Contest in partnership with the New York State Education Department and in accordance with guidelines and rules set out by the American School Bus Council's (ASBC) National School Bus Safety Poster Contest. This contest will take place during the 2023-2024 school year.  New York State judging will take place during the Winter Workshop in February of 2024. First place winners will be submitted to ASBC for inclusion in the national competition.  

  

NOTE:  DEADLINES ARE MUCH EARLIER THAN PREVIOUS YEARS - ALL POSTERS ARE DUE IN THE NYAPT OFFICE ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 01, 2024.

The poster contest is not intended to be a competition as much as it is a learning opportunity for our student riders about school bus safety.  What a great opportunity to share your knowledge with our future leaders and to help keep them safe!

WHO MAY ENTER?

Any student enrolled at the elementary or middle grade levels (plus High School for Divisions IV and V only) in a public, non-public, charter, or other private school in New York State may submit an entry, provided that the student is from a school in which there is a current member in good standing of the New York Association for Pupil Transportation or is from a school served by a private contractor that is a member in good standing in NYAPT.  Questions about member status can be addressed by the NYAPT office: membership@nyapt.org or 518-463-4937.

CATEGORIES

Posters may be submitted under five categories.  Note that First, Second, and Third place winning posters will be selected from each division, as follows:

Division #1 Grades K-2
Division #2 Grades 3-5
Division #3 Grades 6-8
Division #4 Special Education
Division #5 CAD (Computer Aided Drawing)

Division #6 Driver, Monitor and Attendant 

Only those entries that win First Place in each division at the state level will be forwarded to ASBC for the national competition by the national deadline. All such winning entries become the property of the ASBC and are not returned.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

All posters must first be submitted to and judged by local NYAPT chapters in the area in which the posters were originally drawn. Do not send posters directly to NYAPT or ASBC.  Each Chapter is eligible to submit ONE poster entry for each division.  Consult local chapters for deadlines for local contests.

Posters judged and selected by each chapter for entry into the State Contest must be received by the NYAPT office on or before February 01, 2024, and should be sent to:

NYAPT
1764 Route 9 / P.O. Box 356
Clifton Park, NY 12065

NO POSTER ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE DEADLINE DATE OF February 14, 2024

NYAPT CHAPTER PARTICIPATION

NYAPT Chapters need to plan their local contests accordingly so that posters are judged and submitted to the NYAPT office on or before February 01, 2024, to allow for timely submittal for the national competition.

POSTER SPECIFICATIONS

1) Completed poster size must be 11” x 17” or 12" x 18".  

2) There must be a card/entry blank (see attached for official form) securely fastened to the back of the poster. Please print or type this information clearly and legibly.

3) Posters may be illustrated on the vertical or horizontal axis.

4) Do NOT roll or fold the posters. They must be mailed/delivered flat and in some form of protective packaging.

5) Designs should be submitted on quality tag, poster illustration board or heavy paper. Construction paper may be used but winning entries must be mounted on quality tag poster.

6) Lamination is not permitted and will disqualify the poster.

7) Cut paper/stencils (freehand or pre-drawn stick-on stencils) are not permitted and will disqualify the poster.

8) There is no limitation on the use and number of colors.

9) There is no limitation on the type of media - such as paint, crayon, felt pen, etc. used on the poster design.  However, wood, plastic, glass or metal should not be part of the poster. Collage materials should not be used.  Glued on pieces will eliminate the poster.  Poster designs may not incorporate any copyrighted characters, e.g., comic and/or television characters, photographs, magazines or newspaper illustrations.

10) Illustrations must be original, correct in safety concepts and the exclusive work of the student entering the contest in idea, design and execution. Illustrations should be positive in approach, demonstrating only proper school bus safety behaviors. At least a part of a yellow school bus must be present in the poster.

NOTE: Do not use the school district or company name on the front of the poster. Use of a specific school district or company name displayed on the front of the poster will disqualify the poster.

EVERY POSTER MUST HAVE THE  2024 THEME:
"Driving Safely Into the Future"

Entries for the 2023-24 National School Bus Safety poster contest may be submitted anytime before February 01, 2024 - Deadline for Submittal to NYAPT for the State Contest is February 01, 2024).

(Contestants must illustrate above theme only, and the theme must be exactly as shown)

LETTERING

Freehand drawn letters only may be used on the poster design. Stenciled, pre-printed, manufactured stick-on or press-on letters or tracings may not be used and will disqualify the poster. Lettering should be clearly legible, even if used as part of the poster design. 

JUDGING

Posters will be judged at the state level during the NYAPT 2024 Winter Workshop February 21-23, 2024. The winning posters may be used by NYAPT for educational purposes and contest promotion. Criteria for selection of award-winning posters are: 

   Relationship of the poster design to school bus safety practices 
   Originality of the poster and how the idea is expressed in the poster design
   Artwork and its execution 
   Visual impact of the poster design

All rules regarding poster specifications, themes, lettering, etc. must be followed. The penalty for non-compliance will be disqualification of the poster.

All entries become the property of NYAPT and will not be returned. Entries to the national competition become the property of ASBC, in accordance with the rules of the competition

CONTEST PRIZES

New York State awards are as follows: 

1st Place Winners in each division: $100 check and certificate 
2nd Place Winners in each division: $75 check and certificate
3rd Place Winners in each division: $50 check and certificate

National Prize Award Levels:  Information is available at NAPT.org/PosterContest

The 2023 Poster contest Announcement and Rules handout: 

NYAPT School Bus Safety Poster Contest 2024.pdf

For questions please contact:   

Carol Sicignano   csicignano@pmschools.org   
Patchogue-Medford UFSD
631-687-6460