Maryland Judiciary annual bookmark contest encourages youth to envision peacemaking in schools and communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2026
Government Relations and Public Affairs
187 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Maryland Judiciary annual bookmark contest encourages youth to envision peacemaking in schools and communities
2026 contest is now open for submissions
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) invites students in kindergarten through eighth grade (K-8) to participate in the annual Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Art Contest, a creative opportunity for young people to explore lifelong skills for peaceful conflict resolution. The contest also celebrates Conflict Resolution Month in October and Conflict Resolution Day on October 15, 2026, which is also the contest entry deadline.
The bookmark art contest, which began in 2005, challenges students to design original bookmarks that reflect the theme of peacemaking and resolving conflict constructively. Through their artwork, participants are urged to express ideas about positive communication, empathy, respect, inclusion, working together to solve problems, and understanding different perspectives, skills that may serve them well beyond the classroom.
“This contest gives Maryland’s youngest residents a meaningful way to think about how they can prevent and resolve conflict in their everyday lives,” said Supreme Court of Maryland Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader. “Art is a powerful tool for helping children to learn the value of peaceful problem-solving, which is a critical life skill that students can carry with them into adulthood. It also fosters important discussions about conflict prevention and resolution among thousands of Maryland students, their peers, and teachers.”
The contest is open to all K-8 students enrolled in Maryland public schools, private schools, and homeschool programs. Entries are judged in three grade-level categories: K–2, 3–5, and 6–8. First-, second-, and third-place winners in each category will receive cash prizes, and selected student bookmarks will be printed and distributed throughout Maryland to promote conflict resolution. Fifteen additional students will receive honorable mentions. Winners will be notified in November.
Additionally, winners will be recognized at a special awards ceremony hosted by Supreme Court of Maryland Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader, where hundreds of pieces of student artwork will be displayed for students, their families, and visitors. Contest winners and their families will be invited to the ceremony to be held on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Administrative Office of the Courts, Maryland Judicial Center, in Annapolis, Maryland.
Judge Twigg served as an adjunct professor at Allegany College of Maryland in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2005, and at Frostburg State University from 2005 to 2008. Judge Twigg has served on the Board of Directors of the Humpty Dumpty Learning Center. He is also served as a mock trial instructor at his alma mater Flintstone High School, in Flintstone, Maryland, and Allegany High School, in Cumberland, Maryland. He is also a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Frostburg, Maryland.
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