ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office is marking the 20th anniversary of its Annual Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Art Contest by inviting students statewide to submit artwork promoting peaceful dispute resolution. Open to kindergarten through eighth-grade students, the contest ties into national Conflict Resolution Month in October and culminates with entries due by October 16, 2025, which is International Conflict Resolution Day.
Students are encouraged to create bookmarks illustrating themes such as peer mediation, apologizing, respecting differences, talking things out, solving problems together, listening, tolerance, diversity, inclusion, building peace and alternatives to violence. Submissions are judged on artistic merit, originality and their conflict resolution message, with prizes awarded in three age groups: grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. First place receives $100, second place $75 and third place $50. Honorable mentions get certificates, and selected winners’ designs will be printed and distributed to schools and communities across Maryland to promote conflict resolution. Winners will be notified November 18-19, 2025, and invited with their families to an awards ceremony December 15, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Maryland Judicial Center in Annapolis, where entries will be displayed.
“Learning to resolve conflicts peacefully is a critical life skill that students can carry with them throughout their lives,” said Maryland Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader. “For 20 years, the Maryland Judiciary has been committed to providing a platform to spotlight students and their creativity through the annual bookmark contest, fostering discussions and learning opportunities about conflict resolution and prevention among thousands of Maryland students, their peers, and teachers.”
The contest, launched in 2005, has expanded from fewer than 100 submissions in its first year to nearly 4,000 annually in recent years, engaging thousands of students and educators in curricula focused on peaceful conflict resolution. It aligns with International Conflict Resolution Day, established in 2005 by the Association for Conflict Resolution and observed on the third Thursday in October to raise awareness of mediation, arbitration and other non-violent methods for addressing disputes. This year’s observance falls on October 16, emphasizing global efforts to promote peaceful solutions in schools, workplaces and communities.
The Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office, known as MACRO, oversees the initiative as part of its broader mission to advance alternative dispute resolution statewide. Formed in 1998 by then-Chief Judge Robert M. Bell of the Maryland Court of Appeals, MACRO evolved from the Maryland ADR Commission to support mediation programs in courts, schools and communities, aiming to reduce litigation through voluntary, confidential processes. The office partners with entities like the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution, which traces its roots to informal gatherings of ADR practitioners in the late 1980s, to build professional standards and expand access to mediation.
For Southern Maryland residents, the contest offers a direct avenue for local students to participate in statewide peacemaking education. In past years, children from Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties have earned recognition. For instance, in 2024, a Charles County student received statewide honors for artwork emphasizing creative peace-building, highlighting the role of such programs in fostering dialogue amid community challenges. In 2022, students from St. Mary’s and Charles counties placed in the 17th annual contest, with entries from 54 schools statewide totaling 3,115 submissions. Earlier, in 2021, winners included participants from Southern Maryland, contributing to a total of 2,500 entries that year.
Local schools in the tri-county area often integrate the contest into lessons on conflict management, aligning with regional initiatives. Charles County Public Schools, for example, collaborate with the Charles County Community Mediation Center at the College of Southern Maryland, which provides free mediation services for disputes involving families, neighbors and schools, emphasizing voluntary and confidential resolutions. The center, established to advance peace through dialogue, offers workshops and attendance mediation programs to address truancy early, partnering with schools to improve communication between families and educators. In St. Mary’s County, the Community Mediation Center expanded its peer mediation programs to local high schools in 2024, training students to facilitate discussions among peers, reducing suspensions and promoting skills like active listening.
Calvert County schools also benefit from statewide resources, such as the Maryland Schools Conflict Resolution Grants Program, initiated in 2002 to fund peer mediation and restorative practices in educational settings. These efforts complement the bookmark contest by providing hands-on tools for students to apply contest themes in daily life.
Statewide, the contest has spotlighted talents like Presley Mourlas of Grasonville Elementary in Queen Anne’s County, who took first place in grades 3-5 in 2024 with a design promoting unity. In 2023, winners included Ruby Lamphier from Grasonville Elementary in second place for K-2, demonstrating the contest’s role in encouraging artistic expression tied to social skills. Archives of past winners, available on the Maryland Courts website, show evolving themes from anti-bullying to inclusivity, with entries from diverse regions including Southern Maryland.
Educators can access a video on the contest website showing how a Prince George’s County elementary class used the activity as a teaching tool, integrating art with discussions on empathy and negotiation. The site also provides a downloadable template, submission instructions and contact details for Cheryl Jackson at MACRO.
The program underscores Maryland’s commitment to alternative dispute resolution, with MACRO facilitating over 10,000 mediations annually in courts and communities, reducing case backlogs and empowering participants to reach mutual agreements. For Southern Maryland families, participating in the contest not only builds lifelong skills but also connects to local mediation centers that handle issues from landlord-tenant disputes to school attendance, all at no cost.
