A judging panel consisting of art teachers, school administrators, community members and public safety officials view the poster project entries. (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
WAKEFIELD — The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) has selected several students from across the Commonwealth as winners of this year’s annual poster project.
The winners were chosen from a pool of 151 entries from 33 school districts throughout Massachusetts. Since 2009, MPY has hosted the poster project to provide a platform for student voices and allow them to share their perspectives on important topics. Each year, students submit original, creative posters that reflect the theme. Three winners are selected from the elementary, middle and high school levels, with honorable mentions also receiving recognition.
The theme, “Kind People Are the Best Kind of People,” focused on the importance of showing compassion, care and understanding to everyone, including oneself. Students embodied the theme by volunteering in their community, spreading messages of encouragement and helping out neighbors or strangers.
“This year’s theme encouraged students to reflect on the meaning of kindness and explore ways in which a kind heart can be ignited within our communities,” said MPY Communications Coordinator Wendy Leone. “We are deeply grateful to all the participants for so beautifully expressing the power of kindness through their artistic talents and for giving us all the opportunity to reflect on each submission through a lens of compassion and care.”
This year’s winners at the elementary school level are:
- First place: Noa Parissi – Charlotte Dunning Elementary School, Grade 3, Framingham
- Honorable mentions:
- Madison McManus – Freeman Kennedy Elementary School, Grade 3, Norfolk
- Ellie Hambrecht – Johnson Elementary School, Grade 4, Nahant
This year’s winners at the middle school level are:
- First place: Nora Shaw – Andrews Middle School, Grade 6, Medford
- Honorable mentions:
- Arja Hannon – Hawthorne Brook Middle School, Grade 6, Townsend
- Sydney Levy – Marblehead Community Charter School, Grade 5, Marblehead
This year’s winners at the high school level are:
- First place: Thea Splansky – Lynnfield High School, Grade 10, Lynnfield
- Honorable mentions:
- Carri Hart – Nashoba Valley Technical High School, Grade 10, Westford
- Ashley Salazar Silvera – Norwood High School, Grade 11, Norwood
- Jacqueline Porcaro – Nashoba Valley Technical High School, Grade 11, Westford
“We wish to thank all of the students who submitted artwork to the poster project and congratulate those who were selected as winners,” said Executive Director Margie Daniels. “Each year, we receive many impressive posters that illustrate the theme with a unique design. It is always exciting to see how each student interprets the theme, and this year we saw over 150 different perspectives of what kindness looks like to young people across the Commonwealth.”
MPY’s annual Public Service Announcement (PSA) Project is currently underway with the same theme, “Kind People Are the Best Kind of People.” Submissions are due Friday, April 10. To download a submission form, click here.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth. MPY programming reaches nearly 6,000 educators per year in Massachusetts, spread across approximately 300 districts, with more than 190 webinars and over a dozen conferences and seminars.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission. To learn more, visit: massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com.
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Students submitted 151 entries from 33 different school districts to the 2026 MPY poster project. Each original poster is a unique piece of art reflecting this year’s theme, “Kind People Are the Best Kind of People.” (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
Judges selected three winning posters from the elementary, middle and high school levels. (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
