National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – Orange Shirt Design Contest for Indigenous Students
We want to see your vision for Truth and Reconciliation reflected in a stunning design.
Every year, RRC Polytech showcases the work of an Indigenous artist on its original Orange Shirt, supporting the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award, a bursary awarded to Indigenous students each winter term.
This year, we’re inviting Indigenous students to create a powerful and meaningful design for the Orange Shirt, honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Your artwork could become a symbol of Truth and Reconciliation, featured in the Campus Store and worn by our community.
This is more than just a t-shirt design—it’s a chance to share your voice, amplify Indigenous stories, and stand in solidarity with the ongoing journey of reconciliation. Your design will raise awareness, spark important conversations, and unite our community for this significant day.
The selected design will be featured as this year’s RRC Polytech Original Orange Shirt. The artist will receive a $1,000 prize and their story will be highlighted on our Indigenous blog. The t-shirts will be produced by Red Rebel Armour, owned and operated by Indigenous graduate Sean Rayland-Boubar.
Design guidelines:
Style: Monochromatic line art. Your design should be simple yet profound, using only black and white throughout the design. See past year designs for examples.
Theme: Incorporate elements that represent Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing. This can include symbolic imagery, abstract representations, or meaningful words.
Format: Submit your design in a high-resolution digital format (JPG, PNG, or PDF).
Artist statement: Include a statement (200 – 400 words) explaining what your artwork means to you and how it connects to the themes of Truth and Reconciliation.
Eligibility: Open to all Indigenous students.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
How to submit:
Submit your completed design here. Include your name, student email address, student ID number, artist statement, and design.
Contest Rules:
Please read these rules before entering the online contest. By participating in the contest, you agree to be bound by these Rules and represent that you satisfy all of the requirements below.
No purchase is necessary to enter or win.
- Eligibility: This contest is open to all legal residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory of residence as of the date of entry. Employees of Red River College Polytechnic and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. This contest is void where prohibited.
- How to Enter: No purchase necessary. To be eligible to win the prizes, entries must be completed and received in the format designated below.
All entry information, including the identity of the participant, is subject to verification. By entering the contest, the participant consents to share personal information with Red River College Polytechnic for the purposes of administering the contest and also consents to receive email communications from the College in relation to academic programs, news and events.
All personal information is handled in accordance with Red River College Polytechnic Policy G3— Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy and the RRC Polytech Website Privacy Statement.
Complete and submit an online entry form before the closing date. Limit one entry per person.
- Odds of Winning: Odds of winning the prize are dependent on the decision of the Orange Shirt Design Selection Committee.
- Time Frame: The contest begins at 2:00 p.m. CT on Friday, February 28, 2025, and closes at 3:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. No entries submitted after the close of the contest will be accepted.
- Prize: One winner will receive the following prize: $1,000 and a feature story on the Indigenous Blog.
- Winner Selection and Notification: Winners will be selected by the Orange Shirt Design Selection Committee at Red River College Polytechnic at 3:30 p.m. CT on Friday, May 9, 2025 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and must correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question in order to redeem the prizes as required by the Government of Manitoba. If the winner is unable to answer the skill-testing question, they will be unable to claim the prize and a new winner will be chosen using the same method, excluding all previous winners. The winners will be notified within approximately (1) business day of the selection via either email or telephone. The prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner if: (a) two (2) attempts to contact the winner by phone and/or e-mail within 24 hours are not successful; (2) if required by the contest organizer, any declaration and release forms are not signed and returned within the state time period. The contest organizer reserves the right to cancel the contest if there are no entries received by 12:00 p.m. CT on April 30, 2025.
- Awarding of the Prize: The winner may be asked to present photo identification as verification to claim the prize. Any federal, provincial or local taxes associated with the receipt or use of the prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. No substitutions or exchanges (including for cash) of the prize will be permitted, except that the contest organizer reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any prize. The prize is awarded “as is” and without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Where disclosed, currency is in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stipulated.
- Declaration of Release: By participating in this contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless Red River College Polytechnic, and any of its officers, directors, representatives, agents, and employees, from any and all liability from injury, loss or damage of any kind resulting from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize, participation in this contest, any breach of these contest rules, or in any prize-related activity. Each entrant agrees to fully indemnify the Released Parties from any and all claims by third parties relating to the contest, without limitation.
- Release for Promotional Purposes: Entrance into this contest constitutes permission for Red River College Polytechnic to use the winner’s name, city and provinces/territories of residence and likenesses for purposes of advertising and publicity in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity, without further compensation, notification, or permission, unless prohibited by law.
- Limitation of Liability: By entering the contest, participants agree to accept these official rules and any decisions of the contest organizer, which shall be final in all matters. By entering the contest, participants release the contest organizer from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the contest or delivery, misdelivery, acceptance, possession, use of or inability to use any prize. The contest organizer assumes no responsibility for lost, stolen, delayed, damaged or misdirected entries or for any failure, or for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, or computer transmission during the contest period. The contest organizer reserves the right to disqualify any person enters the contest or tries to do so by any means contrary to these rules or which would be unfair to other entrants.
- Contest Organizer: Red River College Polytechnic, 2055 Notre Dame Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0J9.
For any questions related to the Orange Shirt Contest, please contact Robin Ringland, Indigenous Communications Officer, at rringland@rrc.ca.
