World Rabies Day Poster Competition 2023

See the winning posters!

The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KSVDL) at Kansas State University (KSU) and the Kansas Department of Health and the Environment (KDHE) in collaboration with Bavarian Nordic and the One Health Commission Bat Rabies Education Team (BRET) are hosting a poster contest to educate children about rabies prevention in Kansas. We invite K-12 students to participate by designing an eye-catching and informative poster emphasizing ways to prevent rabies. Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease that can be transmitted to people by infected mammals, including skunks and bats.

Wildlife are an integral part of our ecosystem, and serve important roles e.g. bats are responsible for pollination and eating crop-destroying insects. However, people may be unaware of the health risk that wild animals can pose to people and pets through the potential transmission of the rabies virus. Not all wild animals have rabies, but skunks are responsible for most animal cases of rabies in Kansas and bats are the origin of most human rabies cases in the United States.

We need your help to raise awareness about rabies prevention! The goal of our poster contest is to help get the word out about rabies, recognizing the potential for wildlife rabies reservoirs to transmit rabies to humans and pets and that there are ways you can prevent rabies transmission. We invite K-12 students to help in this effort, by designing an eye-catching and informative poster that can serve as an educational resource to help protect people against rabies.

Download our Poster Competition Resource Kit (PDF) to share with teachers and/or students at your school.

Poster Categories/Prizes

Kindergarten – Grade 2 1st prize – $800 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and Prize Package. 2nd prize – $400 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and Prize Package.

Grade 3 – 5 1st prize – $800 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and Prize Package. 2nd prize – $400 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and Prize Package.

Grade 6 – 8 1st prize – $900 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $100 Amazon gift card and Prize Package. 2nd prize – $500 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and Prize Package.

Grade 9 –12 1st prize – $1000 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $150 Amazon gift card and Prize Package. 2nd prize – $600 will be donated to the school. Student will receive a $75 Amazon gift card and Prize Package. *Cash prizes donated by Bavarian Nordic; Amazon Gift Cards by KSVDL and; Prize Packages by KDHE and KSVDL

Contest Guidelines

1. Posters are to be 8.5 x 11 inches only – Vertical (portrait) orientation is required

2. Regular paper or card stock can be used, with any medium for the coloring

3. Poster content must be original work and must say something about RABIES

4. Kansas students in K-12 are eligible to participate

5. Poster submissions must be accompanied with the student’s name, age, and grade as well as the school’s name and address and the teacher’s name and contact information.

6. Entries must be received by January 19, 2024. No exceptions.

7. Digital art posters and all aforementioned information must be uploaded, in PDF format, by a school staff member

   Upload Posters Submissions Here

8. Non-digital art posters and all aforementioned information should be mailed to: Kansas State University Rabies Laboratory, 2005 Research Park Circle, Manhattan, KS, 66502. Labelled: Poster Competition. Attention Dr. Janine Seetahal.
   Non-digital art posters will not be returned. For this reason, digital submissions are highly encouraged.

9. Posters will be graded on creativity, originality and aesthetically pleasing visual design.

10. Winners will be announced on January 30, 2024 (World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day).
    **Due to the high volume of entries, the winners will be announced Feb. 16, 2024. **
    Winning posters will be featured on the website of the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KSVDL) Rabies Laboratory and be incorporated into future rabies events hosted by the KSVDL, KDHE and the One Health Commission.

Thank you in advance for your participation. We wish all entrants the best of luck! If you have any questions, please email vdloutreach@vet.k-state.edu

Rules and Disclaimer

Only submit one entry per person. Participant must live in the state of Kansas, United States. Do not submit images that may infringe any copyright or other proprietary rights. By submitting your poster, you agree to grant the KSVDL, KDHE and the One Health Commission a non-exclusive license to reproduce, use, display, and distribute your poster without regard to any copyright, trademark service mark, patent, trade secret, or other proprietary rights you may have in such information. You agree we may use your poster on our social media and web platforms for the purpose of educating the public about rabies. The KSVDL, KDHE and the One Health Commission assume no responsibility for any republication or other use of your poster by others not under our control. All submitted posters will be reviewed; a submission does not guarantee that a poster will be featured. The organizers reserve the right to decide which posters to post publicly.