Virginia Lottery launches 9th annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Lottery has partnered with The Supply Room to launch the 9th annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest, with entries being accepted from K-12 students.

The Virginia Lottery will accept online submissions for this year's Thank a Teacher Art Contest beginning on Monday, Oct. 20. K-12 public school students throughout the Commonwealth are invited to submit original artwork.

According to the Virginia Lottery, the contest closes on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, so students have months to work on their submission.

One winner will be selected from each grade level -- elementary, middle and high school. The Lottery said student winners will receive a $200 Visa gift card and their school will be awarded $2,000 in supplies from The Supply Room.

The three winning pieces of art will also be featured on the 2026 Thank a Teacher thank-you notes distributed throughout Virginia during National Teacher Appreciation Week in May.

PTAs and other school groups can preorder their thank-you notes online through March 27, 2026.