The Christa McAuliffe State House Memorial Commission is pleased to announce the creation of a student arts-based competition to correspond with the creation, installation, and unveiling of the new Christa McAuliffe Memorial in 2024.

Submissions for the arts-based competition will consist of one of the following forms: visual art medium (paint, drawing, digital, etc.); poetry; or essay* (consisting of no more than 1000 words).

The competition will be divided into three grade levels: Kindergarten – Fourth Grade; Fifth Grade – Eighth Grade; and High School (9-12). The top three winners in each grade level will be selected in advance of the memorial’s unveiling in 2024 and will be recognized in the ceremonies.

The theme of this contest is the life and work of S. Christa McAuliffe, longtime educator and selectee of the NASA Teacher in Space Project. Specific characteristics such as education, legacy, exploration, etc., should play an important part in the submissions.

Winners within each grade level will be chosen among all art forms and mediums submitted.

“This is another exciting opportunity for Granite State students to pay tribute to Christa McAuliffe through artwork,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “Christa’s legacy continues to inspire children in New Hampshire and beyond!”

All submissions must be delivered by June 1, 2024. Physical submissions must be sent to The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (Attention Jeanne Gerulskis) 2 Institute Dr, Concord, NH 03301.

Works of writing must be sent (in a word processing document) to arts@doe.nh.gov. Please note, all submissions must be entirely original and not utilize any form of artificial intelligence software.