ICN Cybersecurity Poster Contest Guidelines

Patch the Robot painting a cybersecurity awareness poster for the ICN contest

The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) is excited to team up with Ankeny-based Tier 3 Technology Solutions for a fun Cybersecurity Poster Contest, bringing cyber safety awareness into the spotlight! This contest invites young Iowans to showcase their creativity while learning and sharing essential habits for staying safe online.

We can't wait to see how Iowa students highlight smart cyber habits!

Back to top

Contest Overview & Eligibility

  • Who Can Enter: All Iowa public, private, and home-schooled students in grades K–8.
  • Cost: No cost, free to enter
  • Submission Limit: One (1) entry per student.
  • Submission Deadline: Friday, October 16, 2026.
  • Winners: Winning artists will receive a prize and recognition from the ICN and Tier 3 Technology Solutions by the end of October. We will also highlight winners on our website. Two winners will be selected from each division.
    • Prizes include: BeAndge STEM Kit, $20 Visa eGift card, Fortinet Cyber Safe book, Cyber Snackz Adventures in Cybersecurity Book, and coloring supplies. 
Back to top

Grade Divisions & Required Themes

To keep the competition fair and age-appropriate, posters are evaluated within three grade divisions.

Mandatory Rule for ALL Entries:

Theme: Every poster MUST include the exact phrase: β€œBe Cyber Safe!”.  Posters could show a computer, laptop, or mobile device.

  • Core Themes (e.g., Cyber Superhero) are topics to illustrate, not required text.

Divisions:  Contest is only open to students in grades K-8 attending school in Iowa. Two winners will be selected from each division.

  • Grades K–2
    • Core Theme: Be a Cyber Superhero
    • Focus Area: Basics of online safety, privacy, and caution.
  • Grades 3–5
    • Core Theme: Smart Social Media Habits
    • Focus Area: Responsible sharing, online etiquette, and smart choices.
  • Grades 6–8
    • Core Theme: AI: Real vs. Fake Online
    • Focus Area: AI overuse/abuse, deepfakes, and online trust.
      • Grades 6–8 entries should explore AI safety as a theme, but all artwork must be originally created by the student without using AI tools.
Back to top

Suggested Topics for Inspiration

Need an idea to kickstart your artwork? Choose one of these suggested topics (or invent your own!) that fits your grade's theme:

For Grades K–5:

  • No Common Passwords: Create strong, unique passphrases and keep them secret!
  • Beware of "Free" Games: Watch out for hidden tricks, phishing, or downloads.
  • Think Before You Click: Pause before opening unknown links or messages.
  • Keep Personal Info Private: Protect your name, address, school, and passwords.
  • Install Updates: Keep devices healthy and secure with current software updates.
  • Stranger Danger Online: Don't talk to, text, or play games with strangers online.
  • Stand Up to Cyberbullying: Be kind online and report mean behavior.

For Grades 6–8:

  • Fact-Check First: Learn how to spot credible vs. untrustworthy sources online.
  • Verify First, Post Second: Stop the spread of rumors, fake news, or unverified claims.
  • Seeing is Not Believing: Spotting edited images, fake videos, and synthetic media.
  • Trust or Trick? Recognizing phishing attempts, scams, and deceptive accounts.
  • Preserving Your Digital Footprint: Managing your online reputation across social media.
Back to top

Artwork Rules & Format Options

  • Format Options: Submissions must be created as a full-page poster (8.5x14 or 11x17) addressing the theme.
  • Allowed Art Mediums:
    • Traditional: Markers, crayons, colored pencils, paint, watercolor, chalk, or pen and ink.
  • Color & Visibility: There is no limitation on the use and number of colors. Use bright, bold colors and dark, clear text. Light pencil marks and faint colors do not scan or print well. Text must be large enough to read easily.
  • Originality & Copyright: Poster designs may not incorporate any copyrighted materials (i.e. company name, logo, comic and/or television characters/titles), including stock artwork, photographs or other images of common places, landmarks, nature, events or people; clip art, meaning anything from an existing collection of pictures or images that can be imported from or into the poster; and non-original raster graphics or vector graphics. No copyrighted or trademarked logos, brands, or characters (e.g., Disney, PokΓ©mon, Roblox, Google, Twitter/X, Dell, brand logos, school mascots).
    • Important: School district names and/or logos could be considered copyrighted material and should be removed from all submissions.
  • Privacy (No PII on Artwork): DO NOT put the student's full name, age, or school on the front artwork side of the poster. All identifying details belong strictly on the Entry Form.
  • Adult Role: Adults may offer technical support (such as scanning or emailing files), but all creative ideas and artwork must be completed entirely by the student. Professional or paid assistance is not permitted.
  • Content Guidelines: Content must be suitable for public display. Political imagery, sensationalistic content, violent depictions, or offensive language will result in immediate disqualification.
  • Creative: Drawings must be original, correct in cyber safety concept and the exclusive work of the student entering the contest in idea, design and execution. All artwork should be positive in approach, demonstrating only proper cyber safety behaviors.
Back to top

Strict Policy: Zero Tolerance for Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The goal of this contest is to celebrate genuine human creativity and student effort.

  • No Generative AI Allowed: Using AI art generators (such as Midjourney, DALL-E, Canva Magic Media, Photoshop Generative Fill, ChatGPT image tools, etc.) is strictly prohibited.
  • No Image-Generation Tools: Drawing on a computer sketchpad or using software to automatically generate or trace images is not permitted.
  • Disqualification: Submissions containing evidence or reasonable suspicion of AI generation, tracing, or software-assisted manipulation will be disqualified without review.
  • Authenticity: All artwork must be 100% original, created solely by the student's own hands using traditional art mediums. (Such as markers, crayons, colored pencils, paint, watercolor, chalk, or pen and ink.)
Back to top

Judging Criteria

Entries will be judged based on three equally weighted factors: Creativity, Clarity, and Color.

  1. Creativity: How original and engaging is the student's idea? Does the artwork present the topic in a unique or memorable way?
  2. Clarity: Is the cybersecurity message easy to understand? Can someone quickly identify the main lesson or takeaway?
    1. How clearly and creatively the artwork communicates the phrase "Be Cyber Safe" and its assigned grade-level theme.
  3. Color & Presentation: Is the artwork visually appealing? Does it make effective use of color, composition, and overall presentation?
Back to top

Submission Information

Digital Submission Information: Digital submissions may be submitted in high-resolution PNG or JPG. 

Mail-In Submission Information: 

  • There must be an entry label securely fastened to the back of the poster. Please print clearly. Do not place name, school etc., on the front of the poster. 

  • Display information on the back only. The entry label must be used as it contains all the required information.

  • Do not roll posters. They must be mailed/delivered flat. Mail/deliver posters to the ICN at the address below.

Hard copy entry:

Iowa Communications Network
Attn: Cybersecurity Poster Contest
Marketing and Communications
400 E 14th St
Des Moines, IA 50319

All mail-in submissions become property of the ICN and will not be returned.

The ICN will announce the winning student artists from each division by the end of October.

Once an entry is submitted, the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) and the State of Iowa has permission to display, publish, reproduce, and distribute this artwork in print, digital, web, social media, and promotional materials. ICN will retain the artwork for future educational, promotional, or cybersecurity awareness efforts. Hard-copy submissions will not be returned.

Back to top

Questions

Specific questions about the poster contest can be directed to ICN's Marketing and Communications Team at [email protected]. 

Back to top