The Orlando Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is hosting an illustrated poem contest for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Entries must be sponsored by a local school or community group for verification purposes. For local contest, submission form is needed but parent/Guardian signature is not required.
| Contest Deadline: | Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern |
| Local Prizes: | One winner* will be awarded $50 and one runner up* will be awarded $25 for each of the flowing categories: Grades K-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12 *Submissions must be of high quality, aligned with the contest’s theme, and achieve the highest score. |
| Local Contact: | Duy Le (submission@orlandoacs.org) |
| Submission: | Illustrated poem and submission form must be submitted to https://forms.gle/ryiZUQs9GwTxBTHKA or emailed to submission@orlandoacs.org |
Winners of the Orlando Section’s Illustrated Poem Contest will advance to the National Illustrated Poem Contest for a chance to be featured on the ACS website and to win prizes!
How to participate:
Write and illustrate a poem using the NCW theme, “Chemistry Under Construction”
Your poem must be no more than 40 words and in the following styles to be considered:
HAIKU – LIMERICK – ODE – ABC POEM – FREE VERSE – END RHYME – BLANK VERSE
Possible topics related to the theme include:
- Chemical reaction
- Molecules
- Copper
- Rust
- Adhesive
- Concrete
- Cement
- Insulation
- Metal
- Polymers
Entries will be judged based upon:
Contest rules:
| • All poems must be no more than 40 words, and in one of the following styles to be considered: Haiku, Limerick, Ode, ABC poem, Free verse, End rhyme, and Blank verse. • Entries are judged based upon relevance to and incorporation of the yearly topic (the 2026 theme is Chemistry Under Construction), the word choice and the imagery, colorful artwork, adherence to poem style, originality and creativity, and overall presentation. • All entries must be original works without aid from others. Physical drawings may be scanned or captured via camera and submitted digitally. Illustrations may be created using crayons, watercolors, other types of paint, colored pencils, or markers. • The illustration may also be electronically created by using a digital painting and drawing app on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. If the illustration is created using a digital painting or drawing app, the name of the program must be included on the entry form. • Use of AI in any form (i.e. written or pictorial) is strictly prohibited. • The text of the poem should be easy to read and may be typed before the hand-drawn or digital illustration is added, or the poem may be written on lined paper, which is cut out and pasted onto the unlined paper with the illustration. • No clipart or unoriginal images can be used. • Only one entry per student will be accepted (without assistance from others). • Students must be sponsored by a school or another sponsoring community group (e.g., Homeschool Association, Boys and Girls Club, Scout Troop, 4-H, etc.). • Acceptance of prizes constitutes consent to use winners’ names, likenesses, and entries for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes. • Students must have parental/guardian permission and signature to enter the contest. • No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Sponsored by the American Chemical Society. All rights reserved. All information provided herein pertains to the Illustrated Poem Content. This information may be updated or changed for future contests. • Parent/Guardian Signature is not required for local contest. We will request parent/guardian signature only for the Poems that go to the national contest. • Teachers of the winners of local contest will present awards to the winners on behalf of the Orlando Local Section. |
Download submission form.