Spring 2023 Bright Spark® Graphic Design Challenge
A Free, Virtual Graphic Design Challenge for Students
Theme: “Power of We”
Date(s): March 31 - April 28, 2023
Cost: Free
Participants: Rising 4th - 12th Grade Students
Location: Program is virtual from start-to-finish—participate from anywhere!
Through graphic design, we are asking students to champion the Power of We. The graphic design must be an original work and may be hand-drawn or digitally created. According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), graphic design is defined as “the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content.”
What does Power of We mean? We’ve learned through these past few years the beauty and necessity of being part of each other’s lives. Connection, community, and collaboration are big ideas being talked about all over the world since our isolation during the pandemic. What do they all mean? Connection is knowing we as individuals are not alone. Meaningful connections can be made by exercising empathy and finding common ground in our humanity. Community means we have each other to lean on and call on if we feel alone or overwhelmed in our lives. Community also means we can trust others to care about our growth and challenge us to be our best selves. Collaboration means we can work together to find solutions to mutual problems. Big problems that impact our environment or people who are homeless, or mental health crises in our schools cannot be addressed if we don’t start with the Power of We. The Power of We starts with acknowledging our differences or disagreements with humble hearts and embracing the fact that we are better together and not apart. It starts with a mindset shift toward WE, which means trusting each other and taking time to listen to each other. Where are our common grounds? How might we show people the importance of the Power of We?
In doing this challenge, you have the opportunity to be creative in thinking how the idea of Power of We can be shown in graphics you design! As the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” suggests, the use of graphics can explain ideas better than a large number of words. Your graphics have the power to inspire, motivate, and change behavior. Can an image encourage the Power of We mindset and change the way people behave? Can an image inspire, encourage, and educate people in our community to start with the Power of We to build connection, community and collaboration?
For this challenge we are asking the question, How might we inspire people to live out the “Power of We” in their work and in their communities?