This year’s competition invites students to use art and design to promote mental health awareness. By creating visual work with a positive mental health message, students can encourage understanding and spark meaningful conversations.
Student applications are welcome from teachers and school staff in primary schools, secondary schools, and Further Education and Training (FET) centres, including Youthreach, throughout Ireland.
How to get involved
Students are invited to create their own posters that raises awareness of positive mental health and wellbeing in a creative way.
Students should design one poster with a positive mental health message, illustrating what positive mental health means to them. Students can use images, words, or symbols to communicate their message in a clear and creative way.
What kind of poster artwork is accepted?
Students can create their poster in any visual art style.
Accepted formats include:
- Hand-drawn or hand-painted posters
- Illustrated artwork
- Collage or mixed media
- Digitally designed posters (e.g. using design software or apps)
Important information
- Entries must be a static poster design (videos or animations are not accepted).
- Digital artwork is welcome, but animated or moving images are not required or accepted.
Categories
Entrants from across Ireland can choose from three categories:
- Primary school
- Secondary school
- FET centres (including Youthreach).
There will be a first-place winner and two runners-up chosen from each category.
Prizes
First-place winners in each category will receive a:
- €1,000 cash prize
- Trophy
- Role as Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) School Ambassador for the 2026/27 academic year
- WIMS School Support Package.
More information about the WIMS School Ambassador role and School Support Package can be found in the terms and conditions listed below.
Runners-up will receive a:
- €500 cash prize
- Trophy
- WIMS Wellbeing Pack.
More information about the WIMS Wellbeing Pack can be found in the terms and conditions listed below.
All teachers who submit an entry from their pupils will be entered into a draw to win a €250 One4All Voucher.
How to submit an application
Teachers can enter on behalf of their students. Please complete the short entry form before the closing date, with information including:
- A PDF of the poster, in A3 size
- The name of the poster you are entering
- An explanation of what the poster means to your student
- An outline of what inspired your student to create the poster.
You can find the application form here.
Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday, 26 March 2026
The judging process
Our judging panel will look for standout posters that creatively illustrate what positive mental health means to the student through clear messaging, strong visuals and originality. The shortlisted schools will be announced in April .
Each poster will be scored across the following areas:
- Positive mental health message
How clearly the poster shows and communicates a positive mental health message. - Creativity and originality
How creative the idea is and how original the poster feels. - Clarity of message
How easy the poster is to understand at a glance. - Visual design
Use of colour, layout, images, and text to create an engaging poster. - Overall impact
How inspiring, positive, and memorable the poster is.
Awards ceremony
Shortlisted schools will be invited to an award ceremony in St Patrick’s University Hospital on Wednesday 29th April where our judges will announce the winners and runners-up.
Shortlisted schools will be asked to send their original posters via registered post to St Patrick’s Mental Health Services before the award ceremony takes place.
Terms and Conditions
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How do the awards work?
The WIMS team will review all applications and create a shortlist. Shortlisted entries will then be scored by the judges, with the highest-scoring entries awarded first place or runner-up. Shortlisted schools will be announced in April 2026 and winners and runners-up announced at a ceremony on Wednesday 29th April.
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What artwork is accepted?
We will accept hand-drawn or hand-painted posters, illustrated artwork, digital artwork, collage or mixed media, digitally designed posters (e.g. using design software or apps), hand-created artwork that has been scanned or photographed clearly. Entries must be a static poster design; videos or animations will not be accepted.
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What are the prizes?
First Place winners in each category will receive a €1,000 prize, a trophy, a role as WIMS School Ambassador and a WIMS School Support Package.
Runners-up will receive a €500 prize, a trophy, certificate, and WIMS Wellbeing Pack. (Please note, runners-up will not act as a WIMS School Ambassador)
The Mission Possible 2026 trophies and prizes, and runner-up prizes, will be presented at an awards ceremony in St Patrick’s University Hospital in Dublin 8 in April 2026.
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What is the WIMS School Support Package?
First Place winners will receive a wellbeing pack including posters, Wellbeing Wall banners and other resources and branded items your school can use to continue their wellbeing initiatives. What is involved in being a WIMS School Ambassador?
We want to help schools share, celebrate, and strengthen the great wellbeing work already happening across school communities. That’s why we invite selected schools to become WIMS School Ambassadors - recognised leaders in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.As a WIMS School Ambassador, your school will have the opportunity to:
- Showcase your wellbeing initiatives and be recognised for the positive work you are doing
- Share your journey - including successes, challenges, and key learnings - to help inspire other schools
- Raise your school’s profile by having your work shared across the WIMS School Portal and social media channels
- Contribute to a national wellbeing network, supporting schools to further their own wellbeing missions.
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What we ask of WIMS School Ambassadors
Throughout the academic year, ambassador schools will share at least three updates on their wellbeing initiatives via the WIMS School Portal. These updates help bring your work to life and support other schools looking to take similar steps.
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What’s in a WIMS Wellbeing Pack?
A wellbeing pack including posters, Wellbeing Wall banners and other resources and branded items your school can use to continue their wellbeing initiatives.
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Who can enter the Mission Possible awards?
We can accept applications from teachers and school staff in primary schools, secondary schools, and FET centres (including Youthreach) from across Ireland. Applications will close at 5pm on Thursday, 26 March 2026
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How do you enter?
Entering is easy. The teacher submitting the entry on behalf of their students just needs to fill out the application form before the closing date.
The closing date for entries is 5pm on Thursday, 26 March 2026. Entries submitted after this date cannot be accepted. -
Does my school need to pay to enter?
No, Mission Possible is free to enter for all schools in Ireland.
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Can my school enter more than once?
Yes, your school can submit as many entries as you wish.
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My school won a Mission Possible award previously. Can we enter again?
Yes, your school can enter the competition every year, even if you have won previously.
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When a school wins, who gets to keep the prize money?
The cheque is made payable to the school.
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How do I enter the draw for the €250 One4All voucher?
All teachers who submit a Mission Possible entry from their pupils will be entered into a draw to win a €250 One4All Voucher. Each teacher will receive one entry into the draw regardless of the number of submissions.
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Is there other important information you should know?
Shortlisted entries and winners will be announced on WIMS social media channels. If your entry is shortlisted, we will let you know by email.
Shortlisted entrants will be invited to participate in media and promotional activities relating to Mission Possible. By submitting an entry, students are consenting to use of their names in press materials and promotion relating to the competition.Personal details of entrants will only be used for administrative purposes and for promotional activities relating to the competition. WIMS and SPMHS reserve the right to amend, modify, cancel, or withdraw an entry from the competition at any time without notice.
If you have any questions about Mission Possible, please email info@walkinmyshoes.ie.We wish you the best of luck and we look forward to seeing your amazing ideas!
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