For more than 30 years, Lions around the world have sponsored the Lions International Peace Poster Contest in schools and organized youth groups in their communities. This year, as we move forward with the 2020-21 competition, “Peace Through Service,” we face a new challenge of hosting the contest safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Lions have been serving and connecting safely through social distancing, Zoom meetings, social media and more, and we encourage you to continue being safe as you sponsor the Peace Poster Contest.
Consider the following tips:
- Email or call your school or youth group leaders to check in, confirm their participation in this year’s contest and offer your support.
- Encourage schools conducting e-learning to participate by providing contest rules and instructions online. Students can then complete their posters at home and drop them off to the designated school contact.
- Provide your name, email address and phone number to the participating school or youth group contact, and make plans to collect the posters from them for the local judging.
- Follow local guidelines for gathering and practicing social distancing when holding your contest judging (at the club, district and multiple district levels).
- Consider holding your contest judging online. Photograph the entries and post them without the student’s names (remember it is a blind judging) in an online photo gallery such as Flickr, Google Photos, etc. Share the link with your judges and include a score sheet to email back to you.
- Recognize local winners by sharing their poster images with your local news media and by posting them on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) with #PeacePoster.
How are you adapting and innovating the way you hold your contest? We would love to hear from you. Please post your photos and stories on social media using the hashtag #PeacePoster or email peaceposter@lionsclubs.org.
Get started and purchase your Peace Poster Kit online before the October 1 deadline.
Additionally, visit our website to learn about the Peace Essay Contest and to download the Peace Essay Contest Rules and Entry Form.
Thank you for continuing to foster peace and international understanding and supporting the youth in your community!
Kristopher Kempski is the senior motion media specialist for Lions Clubs International.
