Camden Rockport Middle School Student Wins 2026 MLTI Maine Winter Classic T-Shirt Design Contest

Camden, Maine - Congratulations to Camden Rockport Middle School sixth-grade student Hannah Smith, who was selected as the winner of this year’s t-shirt design contest for the 2026 Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Maine Winter Classic! Smith’s design will appear on the official t-shirt for the event, which will take place virtually in schools across Maine from March 2-6, 2026.

This annual, game-based learning experience

allows students to “travel” virtually around Maine while completing challenges, earning tokens, and exploring topics such as computer science, digital citizenship, digital design, and gamification. Through these engaging and collaborative activities, students develop digital skills, connect with peers across the state, and discover how technology can serve as a tool for creativity, problem-solving, and innovation in everyday life.

Smith’s unique t-shirt design, created with Canva, features a pair of headphones with a version of the MLTI gear-shaped logo at the center and “Maine Winter Classic” displayed beneath it..

“I used headphones in my design because I like music and just got new headphones,” Smith shared. “I picked red and white for my design because I was thinking of candy canes. I also thought the red and white would be different from other people’s work and make my work stand out.”

This year’s t-shirt will be a cardinal red with the design in white.

The MLTI Winter Classic t-shirt design contest is held annually and is open to all pre-K-grade 12 students in MLTI school districts across Maine. Guidelines for future contests can be found here. A similar t-shirt design opportunity is also available for the in-person Maine Department of Education (DOE) annual MLTI Student Conference, scheduled for May 21, 2026, at the University of Maine. Information about that ongoing contest can be found here.

T-shirt design winners in these contests have represented schools from across the state, including Southern Aroostook Community School, Auburn Middle School, Waterville Junior High School, Gray-New Gloucester High School, Samuel L. Wagner Middle School, Maranacook Community High School, Reeds Brook Middle School, and Brunswick High School.

While t-shirts and supplies for the virtual 2026 Maine Winter Classic event may be limited, schools can still register to participate through February. To date, more than 6,000 participants from 70 schools across every county in Maine are registered.

For more information about the MLTI Maine Winter Classic, please visit this link. With questions about MLTI student events, please contact Maine DOE MLTI Project Manager Bethany Billinger at bethany.billinger@maine.gov.