Seeing your child’s artwork on the refrigerator turns an everyday space into a gallery of color and creativity. Each creation is more than a picture — it’s a reminder of their imagination, growth and the joy they bring into your home.
Now, what if your child could transform that art into something that impacts thousands of teachers across Virginia? That artwork could be just the inspiration a teacher needs to keep going.
The Virginia Lottery and The Supply Room have teamed up again to launch the 10th Annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest. All K-12 students enrolled in Virginia’s public schools are encouraged to create artwork and enter it into the contest for the chance to have that artwork featured on thank-you notes that will be distributed to thousands of teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week in May 2027.
Students are encouraged to create art that expresses their gratitude for Virginia’s public-school teachers. The Lottery will accept submissions online at thankateacherva.com through November 23, 2026. One winner will be selected at each level: elementary, middle and high school. The school that each winner attends will receive $2,000 from The Supply Room. The winning artists will each receive a $200 Visa® gift card in addition to having their winning original artwork featured on thank-you notes distributed across Virginia.
Last year, the Lottery surprised the three student winners: Sadie Bauley, a 5th grader at Hovatter Elementary School in Loudoun County; Jaela Alexander, a 7th grader at Southside STEM Academy at Campostella in Norfolk; and Smera Raj, a 9th grader at Atlee High School in Hanover County. Their artwork appeared on more than 225,000 digital and printed thank-you notes as part of the 2026 Thank a Teacher campaign.
