The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) LGBTQ+ Roundtable is now accepting submissions for their annual Everyone Belongs Here Poster and Poetry Contest.

All Alameda students, not just AUSD students, are eligible to enter the contest. Poems can be any length or style. Posters (due to printing limitations) can range in size from 8.5x11 to 24x30 inches. Any style poster (i.e., watercolor, colored pencils, crayons, or digital) is welcomed.

“Everyone Belongs Here” is the guiding theme, but the AUSD LGBTQ Roundtable committee is asking contestants to “emphasize what Everyone Belongs Here means to you.” This can include (but not limited to): gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, COVID, wealth, and age.

The contest will be split by age group: grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. A winner will be selected in each age group. All winners will receive a $15 Books Inc. gift card. Also, the overall poetry winner will have their piece printed in the Alameda Sun. The overall poster winner will have their poster printed and distributed to schools to be displayed in classrooms, offices, and other public spaces.

Submissions are due by May 20. For digital entries, submit entries to ausdlgbtqroundtable@gmail.com — with the subject heading “Everyone Belongs Here Contest Entry.” Include the creator’s preferred name and last name, pronouns, school, and grade level in the body of the email. Submit poems as a PDF to the listed email. Submit posters as a PDF, JPEG, or PNG file to the listed email.

For hard copy entries, place entries in a large envelope and drop it off at the Encinal High School’s Main Office at 210 Central Ave. Include the creator’s preferred name, last name, pronouns, school, grade level, and contact information on a separate sheet of paper inside the envelope. Write, “Everyone Belongs Here Contest Entry” on the envelope. Ask for the envelope to be placed in Gene Kahane’s mailbox.

Winners will be announced on May 30, and a celebration of all artists will be held on June 4, at The Healing Garden, at 1435 Webster St. from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/view/everyone-belongs-here-contest/home.