News

Big Change to Scholastic Art Awards in Fairfax County Region 2025-2026

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Winning an award, especially at the national level, not only highlights your talent and dedication but also gives your college applications a boost!

For more than 25 years, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) served as the regional affiliate for the Scholastic Art Awards. As such, all students in Fairfax County were able to compete in a focused pool of Fairfax submissions. FCPS has gone above and beyond to support young artists in our community. Every year they hosted annual regional award ceremonies and exhibitions which recognized creativity from students of all educational backgrounds: public, private, and homeschooled alike.

In addition to celebrating student work, FCPS assembled a panel of 18 professional judges from diverse fields each year and even rotated in new specialist judges to ensure fresh and fair perspectives. They also set the submission deadlines as late as possible to give students more time to refine their work. As a member of the Fairfax community, DigiKidz Academy deeply appreciates the tremendous effort FCPS has made to support and encourage our young artists. If you have or are a young artist who'd like a dedicated place to develop and hone digital art and creative skills, don't hesitate to contact us!

Now that FCPS is no loger a regional host/affiliate for the awards, there are some important changes to note for this year's (2026) contest. 

• Changes Starting in 2026 Scholastic Art Awards in Fairfax

Beginning in 2026, FCPS will no longer serve as the regional affiliate for the Scholastic Art Awards. If you’re planning to participate, here are the key updates you need to know:

  • New Region: When you enter your ZIP code on the Scholastic Awards website, your region will now be “Region-at-Large East Art” instead of “Fairfax Region.” This puts all Fairfax county students into a larger pool of applicants.
  • Earlier Deadline: The 2025-2026 program submission deadline is December 2, 2025, about one month earlier than last year. The 2025 FCPS sponsored deadline was January 7, 2025.
  • No Regional Ceremony/Exhibition: There will no longer be a local awards ceremony or exhibition hosted by FCPS.

• What Stays the Same?

Although the Fairfax region is not as focused, one important detail remains: the percentage of award winners will stay the same. You’ll be entering a larger pool of submissions, but your chances of recognition remain equal.

So keep creating, keep submitting, and keep sharing your vision with the world. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards continues to be an incredible opportunity to showcase your talent and dedication. Let’s keep the creativity flowing!

For more information and to submit your work, visit the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards website at https://www.artandwriting.org/

To stay up to date with the FCPS Fine and Performing Arts programs, visit https://www.fcps.edu/fine-arts