17th Annual My Ideal School Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the MSBA’s 17th annual “My Ideal School” contest!

The primary goal of the “My Ideal School” contest is to promote discussion among students and teachers as to how thoughtful design and construction of schools in Massachusetts supports student engagement and 21st century learning. This contest was open to all first-grade students currently attending a Massachusetts public school.

This year, we received submissions from across the Commonwealth, selecting ten regional winners, including our grand prize winner. We held a special awards ceremony at the Massachusetts State House, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Each winner received a special prize graciously donated by M&T Bank and presented by State Treasurer and Chair of the MSBA Board of Directors, Deborah Goldberg. During the ceremony, we also announced our grand prize winner, whose artwork will be featured on the cover of the MSBA’s next annual report.

We would like to thank all the students who submitted drawings this year; they were creative and thoughtful, and we enjoyed looking at each one. We would also like to thank the teachers and school administrators who encouraged participation and helped make this year’s contest another success!