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EAST CONFERENCE 2026

March 17-19, 2026

Logo by Anna Beth Smith & Tamar Farmer
of Nettleton STEAM Intermediate

Competitions

Competitions are an excellent opportunity for students to showcase projects and personal growth and be recognized at the EAST Conference for their exceptional work.

Who Can Enter Competitions?

Any current EAST student may enter a competition.

Competition Benefits

Entering and/or winning a competition can offer:

  • Recognition and prizes
  • A resume builder
  • Administrative support and funding for your program
  • A positive challenge and real-world experience
  • Self-confidence and growth
  • Improvement in organization and project management skills

Students should not be encouraged to submit competition applications as an assignment or for a grade.

EAST Noveltee Competition

Competition Overview

Calling all creative EAST students! This is your chance to make your mark on EAST Conference 2026. We are looking for a graphic t-shirt design that embodies the spirit of EAST: innovation, collaboration, and making a positive impact. Your design should be something that resonates with the EAST community and is versatile enough for anyone to wear proudly.

Theme: Your design should reflect what EAST means to you. Think about creativity, teamwork, technology, and community impact.
Versatility: The design should be suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds, something everyone would be excited to wear.
Originality: The design must be 100% original. No copyrighted material or previously published designs are allowed. No use of AI.

The winning design will be featured on t-shirts available for purchase at Conference! Plus, the designer will receive recognition at #EASTcon26! Let your creativity shine, and show us what EAST means to you!

Please note: Due to the wide-open nature of this competition, it is limited to 10 submissions per EAST program. If more than 10 submissions are received, EAST will only consider the first 10 submissions.

T-shirt Design Workshop Day

Join us on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 or Wednesday, October 15, 2025 via Zoom for an exclusive T-Shirt Design Workshop Day with EAST designer, Jocelyn!

This interactive session is your opportunity to showcase your design, receive expert feedback, and ask questions to refine your creative vision. Jocelyn will provide guidance to help you think critically about your design choices and elevate your work. More information will be provided later.

Don't miss this chance to take your design to the next level!

Submission instructions

To qualify, all details and project descriptions in the online application must be complete. This information will be used as a part of the judging criteria for this competition. The submission deadline is 3:30 pm CST on October 23, 2025.

REMEMBER: The submission form will automatically close at 3:30 PM CST on the deadline date. If you are in the middle of submitting a form at this time, your submission will NOT be received. Please remember that upload speeds can vary depending on file type, school bandwidth, etc. Deadline days have high submission traffic, which can also cause delays in uploading files and submitting applications. If you encounter an issue on the day of a deadline, EAST staff may only have limited availability to assist. EAST staff will not grant a deadline extension. It is recommended that you DO NOT wait until the last day or the last minute to submit your application.

Step 1- Get ready

Before submitting your application, make sure you have all the required materials:

  • Design Files
  • Designer Photo

Design File Requirements

  • Required: Final T-shirt Design (.ai or .eps)
    • All t-shirt design submissions must be provided in a format that is fully editable in Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer.
    • Hand-drawn images, raster images, or designs created in non-vector formats like JPEG, PNG, or Canva are not acceptable.
    • Submissions must be original and not infringe on any copyrights.
    • No use of clip art or stock images.
    • No use of AI-generated images.
  • Required: Final T-shirt Design as a .jpg
  • Required: Two Color Design

Designer Photo Requirement

  • Photo of designer ONLY
    • All photos must be high-quality, well-lit professional-style images of the designing student from the shoulders up with a neutral/solid background.

Step 2- Complete the Online Application

Make sure you explain why your design is a great representation of EAST. Include how it reflects the themes of creativity, teamwork, technology, and community impact.

Note: You will upload the items from Step 1 in the online application.

Step 3- Upload Design Files & Photo

Combine all files from step one into one (1) Zipped File with a 1 GB (1048576 KB) max file size. Be sure to review the requirements in step one.

For instructions on how to zip a file click here for Windows instructions or click here for Mac instructions.

Step 4- submit

After completing the online application, click the "Submit" button. Once you see the "Submission Received" page, you will not be able to make any changes. If you do not receive an email confirmation, assume there was an error and your submission was not completed. Please go back and complete the online application again. If you still do not receive an email, please contact events@EASTstaff.org.

Finalist Selection

Finalists will be selected and announced prior to EAST Conference, and the winning project will be available for purchase in the GEAR store at EAST Conference 2026.

Tips from the designer

T-shirt design best practices

  1. Start with Strong Concept & Brainstorming

    Define message, vibe, tone, audience before sketching. Use mood boards, word maps, thumbnail sketches.

    Look at real examples: clever, wearable, meaningful designs.

  2. Shirt Color & Contrast Matter

    Choose shirt color first—it changes the feel and visibility of the design. Ensure strong contrast. Be aware of print limitations (gradients and fine detail can be tricky).

  3. Use Proper Placement & Size

    Standard chest design 6–10 in wide. Left chest logos: 2.5–5 in. Full front up to 12 in wide. Place design 2–4 in below collar.

  4. Typography & Fonts

    Limit fonts (max 2). Use bold, readable typefaces. Adjust spacing for clarity. Avoid overly decorative fonts unless for emphasis.

  5. Keep It Simple

    Clean designs are more wearable. Test readability at distance or small scale. Simplify busy elements.

  6. Use Vectors When Possible

    Vectors scale cleanly. Raster images must be high resolution (300 dpi). Avoid low res graphics.

  7. Limit Color Use for Printing

    Fewer colors = more cost effective & cleaner. Use Pantone/spot for screen printing. Always test against shirt color.