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View All 2023 Contest Submissions
Congratulations to our 2023 winners:
Titasia by Jasper B.
York Middle School, 6th Grade
Guide to Pexa by Gracyn R.
Falmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
Aroadia: A Fantasy World by Sam D.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
(1st, 2nd, 3rd Place overall winners not eligible)
Fourth Grade
Judges Choice for 4th Grade – Wins $100
Meatball Island by Evie E.
Marshwood Great Works, 4th Grade
Fifth Grade
Judges Choice for 5th Grade – Wins $100
Antural by Ana K.
Falmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
Sixth Grade
Judges Choice for 6th Grade – Wins $100
No Name by Izzy R.
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science, 6th Grade
New Elvaeraan City by Beckett K.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
The Element Galaxy by Sylvie O.
Great Falls Elementary, 4th Grade
Downtown Wiscasset, Maine by Daniel M.
Narragansett Elementary, 4th Grade
Marauder’s Map by Sunny H.
Windham Christian Academy, 5th Grade
A Dragon’s Guide to Pantala by Lucie H.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 5th Grade
Dark Island by Bella H.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
Barbie Island by Addyson C.
Marshwood Great Works School, 5th Grade
Hunger Games by Lincoln C.
Marshwood Great Works School, 5th Grade
Ayrtelc by Osa B.
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science, 6th Grade
Treasures of Maine by Strand B.
Pond Cove School, 4th Grade
Monstertopia by Keegan C.
Marshwood Great Works School, 4th Grade
Sandwich Islands! by Blake M.
York Middle School, 6th Grade
Altus Isles by Phoebe O.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
Aromenal Isle by Kylie L.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
My Sweet Farm by Alaura G.
Marshwood Great Works School, 4th Grade
The Black Desert by Ivan D.
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science, 4th Grade
Lang Lang by Cole W.
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science, 6th Grade
Pi-ville by Avery C.
Yarmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
Mountain Clan Territory by Sammie B.
Buxton Center Elementary, 5th Grade
Skull Island by Sebastian D.
Marshwood Great Works School, 4th Grade
The Map to the Island of Gold by David M.
Narragansett Elementary, 4th Grade
Death Island by Hadley M.
Wentworth School, 4th Grade
The Isles of Creation by Waylon M.
Falmouth Elementary, 5th Grade
Swan Island by Alexandra D.
Yarmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
The Fonolei Islands by Quint C.
Marshwood Great Works School, 5th Grade
Corgi World by Sawyer P.
Breakwater School, 5th Grade
The Planet of Ysiyet by Esty S .
Breakwater School, 6th Grade
Tromeros Island by Faith L.
Windham Christian Academy, 6th Grade
Alishia by Jordyn B.
Windham Christian Academy, 6th Grade
Strooberry Island by Sam K.
Yarmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
Zyphin: Land of the Spirits by Claire G.
Yarmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
Four Seasons Islands by Anna F.
Yarmouth Elementary, 4th Grade
Lunar Island by Serafina R.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 6th Grade
Phoenix Islands by Octavia A.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 4th Grade
A Musician’s Guide to Perfect Harmony by Mary P.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 6th Grade
My Middle Earth by Keegan C.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 4th Grade
A Navigation to my Skates by Josie W.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 6th Grade
8-Bit Isles by Ford H.
Center for Teaching and Learning, 5th Grade
Land of Light by Evan H.
Narragansett Elemetary, 5th Grade
Blackbone Island by Tom H.
Narragansett Elemetary, 5th Grade
Camp Huckins, NH by Eve H.
Pond Cove Elementary, 4th Grade
Islands of Zuhaaros by Alena B.
Fiddlehead School of Arts & Science, 5th Grade
Puppy Place by Georgia F.
Yarmouth Elementary, 5th Grade
Ygadrasil by Mina M.
York Middle School, 6th Grade
Fairy Island 2 by Annika E.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
Maroon Island by Liliana O.
Brunswick Jr. High School, 6th Grade
Athlete Island by Lucien B.
Falmouth Elementary School, 5th Grade
Haratopia by Harlie M.
Windham Middle School, 6th Grade
…to enter our Illustrated Mapmaking Contest for the chance to win a $1,000 first prize ($500 for you, $500 for your class)! Prizes will also be awarded for second and third places, as well as “Best in Grade.”
*For Teachers: you may schedule a free mapmaking workshop during school hours for your students (groups of 10-35) by form or by email.
Option 1 (preferred): Mail your map and Entry Release Form to:
Osher Map Library & Smith Center for Cartographic Education
(Attn: Mapmaking Contest)
P.O. Box 9301
Portland, Maine 04104
Option 2: email a high quality scan to: renee.keul@maine.edu. Please note that the scan must be high-quality and appropriately cropped. JPG is preferred. No photographs please, as photographs have uneven lighting and if the lens axis is not exactly perpendicular to the map, the map will be distorted.
Q. Does my map have to be of a real place?
A. No, it can be a map of a real place or someplace or something completely imaginary! If you’re looking for inspiration or ideas, check out our Map Idea Generator.
Q. Can I work with another student to make my map?
A. Sorry, no. All the work needs to be your own!
Q. How are maps judged?
A. Every year, we bring together an independent panel of educators, artists, and cartographers to help OML staff with the judging of our annual mapmaking contest. All submissions are reviewed by the panel, and after extensive discussion, the panel selects 12 finalists to go on to the online community voting round. Maps are judged blindly; judges do not see names or schools. This year, because we have maps being sent in by 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders, we have a new prize category: “Best in Grade.” The three “Best in Grade” maps will be selected by the judging panel. It is possible that a map selected as “Best in Grade” will not be among the Top Twelve Finalists.
Q. Which will be more likely to win: maps made on computers or hand-drawn maps?
A. Remember that the final winner will be chosen by online voting. However, the 12 finalists will be chosen by committee based on originality (creativity and uniqueness) and aesthetics (how nice they look). Maps made on the computer can be more mathematically precise, but that will not matter for this contest. Use whatever method allows you to create the most unique map you can!
Q. Can I use any art material to make my map, so long as it is flat?
A. You can use any standard art medium, but if you use something that might by messy, such as chalk pastels, you need to spray it with fixative. We will be scanning the finalist maps for online voting, and we can’t risk damaging our scanner!
Q. Can I put printed images on a hand-drawn map?
A. You can create images on the computer, print them off, and paste them on your map if you would like. However, if you’re using images you get online, a lot of that is protected by copyright laws, and we could theoretically get in trouble for displaying it on our website. For that reason, all of the illustrations should be your own.
Q. When you say that my map can be created on a computer, are you talking about a certain program?
A. There are multiple programs that can be used to design maps, but we were specifically thinking of software like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). GIMP is free online (www.gimp.org), but it can be pretty tricky to use at first. If you want to try it, you will probably need to spend a few hours with the tutorials (www.gimp.org/tutorials). Pixlr.com is also a good program with great tutorials, and it requires no downloads.
Q. Can an illustrated map use words?
A. Yes! In fact, most illustrated maps DO use words.
See Entries from 2023See Entries from 2022See Entries from 2021See Entries from 2020See Entries from 2019See Entries from 2018See Entries from 2017See Entries from 2016
Questions? Email K-12 Outreach Coordinator, Renee Keul, at renee.keul@maine.edu.
