Schools In Turkey Coloring Contest: A Holiday Tradition

Each November, thousands of young artists from across the country and their teachers participate in the Schools In Turkey Coloring Contest. The popular contest is open to any student, teacher or school employee and prizes are awarded in multiple categories.

The entries are printed and mailed back to Schools In after completion, so the contest encourages creativity in one of the simplest and oldest forms – coloring on paper. Schools In invites everyone to participate and we look forward to seeing the amazing artwork every year.

“There's something very heartwarming about a room full of 8th graders bursting into applause and cheers for a classmate,” said Melanie B., the art teacher of last year’s grand prize winner. “(the contest) has become a fun tradition here. Thanks for all of the support you give to educators - it's noticed and appreciated!”

This Year’s Contest is Out of This World

The Schools In 13th Annual Turkey Coloring Contest is currently underway. Entries are sorted into nine categories, including preschool, kindergarten/1st grade, 2nd/3rd grade, 4th/5th grade, middle school, high school, teacher/school employee and two special needs categories. One grand prize winner receives an Apple iPad while the winner and runner up of each category receives a gift card. We also award a gift card to the teacher of each winning student – our thanks for participating.

Entries must be postmarked by November 13th to be considered. This year’s theme is out of this world as our turkey friend has traveled to outer space, providing a fun celestial scene for teachers and students to color. Check out the official rules .

History of the Schools In Turkey Coloring Contest

Back in 2012, the Schools In marketing team brainstormed ideas on how to give back to educators and their classes. Many on the team were parents themselves so the concept of a coloring contest seemed like a great format that would appeal to a variety of ages. Turkey templates were created, the contest was announced on Facebook and a new tradition began.

The prizes and themes of the contest have changed over the years, with the turkey being featured on farms, in the classroom, on the playground, at the beach and in this year’s contest, in outer space.

The contest has taken place every year since 2012, even during the pandemic when many schools were closed or operating under hybrid schedules. There was talk at Schools In of postponing the contest that year, but the team decided that during that confusing – and often scary time – the simple and familiar tradition was needed more than ever. The contest carried on through online-only entries in 2020 and 2021.

Schools In employees were thrilled when the contest returned to the traditional mail-in format in 2022, and based on the tremendous response of over 10,000 entries, teachers and students were also excited to get back to the normal routine.

A Tradition for Years to Come

For us at Schools In, the Turkey Coloring Contest marks the beginning of the holiday season, a time of gratitude towards educators and their students. Be a part of the beloved tradition by entering this year’s contest – happy coloring!