Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention awareness campaign celebrated every year in October. It is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs. This year's theme is: “Celebrate Life: Live Drug Free.” 

Do you want to be next year's Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest winner?  Three winners will receive a $100 gift card and have their poster featured in Red Ribbon Week 2023! 

Who can participate in the contest?

• Entrants must be students in Alexandria City Public Schools.
• There are three contest categories: elementary school, middle school, and high school.

How do I enter the contest?

• Submit a poster that promotes a drug-free lifestyle.

• Posters can be horizontal or vertical.
• Posters cannot be larger than 11” x 17.”
• Be creative with your entry – all mediums of art (free hand, multi-media, digital) can be used in the design of your poster. 
• Each student can only submit one poster contest entry. Students may work on their poster with their parents/guardians, but posters should be created primarily by students.
• With your entry, please include a short description of how your poster promotes a drug-free lifestyle.
• Posters are judged on artistic presentation and strength of message.
• All posters must be submitted by NOVEMBER 15, 2022. Posters can be submitted using this form or mailed to:
  • The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center
    1701 N. Beauregard Street, 6th Floor
    Alexandria, VA 22311
  • If submitting via mail, please include the following information on the back of the poster:
    1. Student’s full name and date of birth (month/day/year)
    2. Student’s grade and school
    3. Phone number and email address
    4. A short description of how this poster contest entry promotes a drug-free lifestyle
    5. How you heard about the contest
• Parents or legal guardians may submit the entry on student’s behalf.
• By submitting an entry, you have confirmed that ACPS/FACE and its partners have permission to reproduce the images and post on social media and other communication channels.
• Winner will receive a $100 gift card and their poster will be featured in Red Ribbon Week 2023!  

Each year, youth and adults across the country take the Red Ribbon Week pledge to stand up against substance use. Take the pledge today - and encourage friends and family to do the same - to continue to help make our community drug-free.

Youth Pledge

• English
• Spanish
• Amharic
• Arabic

Adult Pledge

• English
• Spanish

It takes a community to prevent substance use and abuse. How will you celebrate Red Ribbon Week? Learn about more ways for youth and adults to get involved this month.                                                                                                                                                    

• Visit RedRibbon.org to participate in virtual activities and enter national Red Ribbon Week contests, including:
  • the National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest,  and
  • the 2023 Red Ribbon Theme Contest
• Consider being an upstander, someone that stands up and acts when something is wrong.  Some ways you can be an upstander include:
  • Standing up and speaking out when someone is encouraging others to make harmful choices.
  • Talking to a trusted adult - such as a parent, teacher, or mentor – if someone is not treating others with kindness.
  • Supporting a welcoming and inclusive community by learning about and respecting the differences of people at school and in our community.
• Test your knowledge about alcohol and drugs with this Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge quiz.  
• Learn more facts about alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarettes, and prescription and over-the-counter medication.
• Having a plan to resist peer pressure can help you make healthy choices. Click here for resources about understanding and responding to peer pressure if you are offered alcohol or other drugs. 
• Looking for resources for practicing self-care, building resilience, and managing wellness? Click here

• Stay informed - learn the latest facts about alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarettes, and prescription and over-the-counter medication.
• Though it might not seem like it, children and teens hear you when you talk to them about alcohol. Get tips for talking with your family early and often about the dangers of substance use and abuse. 
• Having a plan to resist peer pressure can help children and teens make healthy choices. Learn about resources to help youth understand and respond to peer pressure if they are offered alcohol or other drugs.  

Learn more about our Red Ribbon Week partners:

• ACPS Family and Community Engagement Center 
• Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying
• SCAN of Northern Virginia
• Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth 

To learn more about the Red Ribbon Week national campaign and how you can get involved, visit  redribbon.org

2021 Poster Contest Winners

Elementary School Winner: Ashly Isabel Luna Jimenez, Kindergartner, from William Ramsey Elementary School 

High School Winner: Caitlin Feehely, 11th grade, Alexandria City High School

2020 Poster Contest Winners

Elementary School Winner: Zeynab Talibova, 5th grade, from Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School 

Middle School Winner: Bushra Sidiqui, 6th grade, Francis C. Hammond Middle School

High School Winner: Caitlin Feehely, 10th grade, Alexandria City High School

2019 Poster Contest Winners

Elementary School Winner: Allison Benitez, age 8, from  Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School

"In my perfect world we can all be heroes and save each other from drugs! Drugs can make you like a villain or a person that you are not. They make you sick and can even kill you. Let's use our powers to support each other and keep clean from this poison."

Middle school winner: Sarah McBurney, age 13, from  George Washington Middle School

"For my poster I wanted to not only tell people not to do drugs, but also encourage them to be kind instead. The poster includes many facts about both drugs and also being nice, as well as a picture of two kids. The one on the left is colored with warm, bright colors to show happiness while she plays with her cat and the one on the right is colored with dark colors to show sadness and is sitting next to an e-cigarette. The picture visually shows the message that being kind and caring will make you happy and drugs can't replicate that."

High school winner: Caitlin Feehely, age 14, T.C. Williams High School - Minnie Howard  Campus

"My message behind my poster is this girl has been doing drugs, but doesn't know how to stop. She is messaging her friends to not fall into the cycle of drugs like she did."

2018 Poster Contest Winners 

Elementary School Winner: Kate Jimenez, age 9, Patrick Henry K-8 School

"This is my journey to a drug free world. For as long as we focus on love for family, get active and have fun with sports and study to graduate and become a professional, we will achieve our dreams. Stay drug free and be happy like me!"

Middle School Winner: Geremias Ayala Chicas, age 12, George Washington Middle School

"The person is trying to get back to how he used to be but drugs are trying to prevent it. For this person, it's hard to get out of drugs and return to how good he used to be. This is why you shouldn't do drugs. Because it's really hard to get out of drug addiction."

High School Winner: Brendan Huber-Wilker, age 18, T.C. Williams High School

"I chose my design in hopes of inspiring others to gaze upon the vast expanse of the night sky and remember what it means to follow their dreams. The poster's design serves as a message to travel life to its fullest extent and that if one does drugs, this journey can never be realized. The silhouette standing atop the mountain is a symbol for those appreciating the beauty of the world around them and enjoying their life to its "peak" because they chose to be drug free.”