GEM Art Contest for Suicide Prevention

The GEM Art Contest promotes peer-to-peer suicide prevention by accepting student-created artwork that encourages others who may be struggling with their mental health or thoughts of suicide to keep going and/or reach out for help. All students in Grades 6-12 in the Greater Miami Valley (Dayton area) of Ohio are invited to apply, including students in public or private schools or homeschooled. Students must submit the name of their school's teacher/adviser/counselor, and applicants under 18 years of age must submit a signed parent consent form to be eligible.

Winners will be rewarded with cash prizes of up to $500 each, based on five categories. In case of a tie, overall scores will determine the winners. Entrants can win only one cash prize. Additional cash prizes for categories such as Honorable Mention will be awarded, and depending on the number of entries and donations received, each school will be awarded at least one winner. Accepted artwork that meets all contest criteria will be eligible for use in suicide prevention materials and presentations made possible by a generous grant from Culture Works.

All entries must be received by January 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. MST to be eligible for awards. All entrants agree to attend the in-person awards ceremony on February 25, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Fairmont High School in Kettering. All applicants (and their parents if applicant is under 18) must submit a signed consent form. All artists give up the rights of any submissions to the GEM Project Dayton and The Grant Us Hope Foundation. The judges' rubric for scoring entries can be found in the Contest Guidelines on the Information for Students page at www.gemprojectdayton.org.