Art Contest

NEF Gratitude Cards Art Contest

The Needham Education Foundation is excited to announce the 2025-2026 Gratitude Card Art Contest. These cards are a great way to acknowledge and thank NPS staff or anyone in your child’s life, particularly during the holiday season, Staff Appreciation Week, and at the end of the school year. All proceeds from the card sales fund innovative and engaging programs in the Needham schools.

Eligibility

The NEF Gratitude Card Art Contest is open to all Needham Public Schools students in grades K-12.

Deadline

All entries must be received by Friday, October 24, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. We will notify the winners on October 27th. The winning designs will be available for purchase online in our Gratitude e-cards. One design will be printed and sold in local stores.

How to Enter

• NEW! Create a piece of artwork that Celebrates Needham!
• NEW! DO NOT INCLUDE ANY WORDS in the artwork, such as “thank you,” or a school’s name.
• Any media may be used, including digital art and photography.
• The design must be oriented horizontally (landscape).
• Designs that fill the space are easier to reproduce — see examples of past winners below.
• Retain your original artwork in case it is needed for reproduction purposes.

The 2025-2026 Art Contest has ended. Please consider entering next year!

Congratulations to the 2025-2026 NEF Art Contest Winners!

25-26 1st Place “Circle of Joy” Emma Kenneally, grade 10, Needham High School

25-26 2nd Place “Needham Rockets” Genevieve Miller, grade 5, Sunita Williams

25-26 3rd Place “You Make Us Feel Welcomed” Katelyn Ye, grade 2, Newman

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 NEF Art Contest Winners!

*Note that previous winners could use words in their artwork. In 2025-2026, we ask that you do not include any words. Thank you!

24-25 1st Place “Thank You Teachers” Carmen Zosa, grade 6, High Rock

24-25 2nd Place “Making the World a Better Place” Kai MacTough, grade 8, Pollard

24-25 3rd Place “Teaching is a Superpower” Abby Stauber, grade 5, Newman

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 NEF Art Contest Winners!

23-24 1st Place “Seeds of Knowledge” Arshiya Sharma, grade 5, Eliot

23-24 2nd Place “Books Open New Worlds” Lucy Kharas, grade 7, Pollard

23-24 3rd Place “Helping Us Grow” Allegra Franco, grade 10, Needham High

Congratulations to the 2022-2023 NEF Art Contest Winners!

22-23 1st Place “Growing Garden” Stella Mihailidis, grade 6, High Rock

22-23 2nd Place “Being So Kind” Claire Roach, grade 1, Newman

22-23 3rd Place “It Takes A Big Heart” Harshini Hariprasadkumar, grade 8, Pollard

Congratulations to the 2021-2022 NEF Art Contest Winners!

21-22 1st Place “For All You Do” Leah Finizio, grade 9, Needham High

21-22 2nd Place “Hands In the Air” Anne Keefe, grade 5, Mitchell

21-22 3rd Place “Helping Me Grow” Zoey Shapiro, grade 4, Broadmeadow

Congratulations to the 2020-2021 NEF Art Contest Winners!

20-21 1st Place “School Supplies on Stage” Abigail Lee, grade 10, Needham High

20-21 2nd Place “Blue Thank You with Lily” Yutong Chen, grade 6, High Rock

20-21 3rd Place “Purple Thank You Ticket” Ruby Ellerin, grade 10, Needham High

Congratulations to the 2019-2020 NEF Art Contest Winner!

19-20 1st Place “Favorite School Subjects” Lilly Bratschi, grade 5, Broadmeadow