We invite middle and high school students from around the world participate in the 2016 Ocean Awareness Student Contest! The theme is Making Meaning out of Ocean Pollution, and it challenges you to research, explore, interpret, and say something meaningful about the connections between human activities and the health of our oceans.

This year, we challenge you to focus on ONE type of ocean pollution and “make meaning” of it through art, poetry, prose, or film. We would encourage you to connect it with your own life, your own local community, or something else that is personally meaningful to you, but what’s most important is to pick a topic that inspires and motivates you

This is an interdisciplinary contest that weaves together ocean awareness, creativity, and advocacy. Advocacy means taking a stand for something you believe in. It requires problem-solving skills, assertiveness, and most of all, knowing when to call the world to action.

While learning from science, history, and personal experience will inform your entry, there is no “right” way to do meaningful advocacy. Use your creativity to make art, poetry, prose, or films that inspire and empower a new generation of ocean stewardship!

Theme

Making Meaning out of Ocean Pollution

Organizer

From The Bow Seat

Prizes

Grade 9-12

Gold Award- $1,500

Silver Award- $1,000

Bronze Award- $500

Gold Award winner’s school- $1,500

Plus:

10 Honorable Mention Awards- $250

3 Teacher Recognition Awards- $750

Grade 6-8

Gold Award- $1,000

Silver Award- $750

Bronze Award- $250

Gold Award winner’s school- $750

Plus:

10 Honorable Mention Awards- $100

3 Teacher Recognition Awards- $750

Deadline

June 13th, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST

Guidelines
All submissions must be received by June 13th, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST to be entered into the contest.
Entries may be submitted by an individual or group of unlimited size. If you submit as a group, there must be 1 email point-person, but all the names of the group members must be listed upon registration, and the prize money will be split among the group members.
Any student may submit (meaning have their name included in) only one entry per category. Therefore, a student may have a maximum of four different submissions, one in each category.
Entries submitted previously to the (From The Bow Seat) FTBS Ocean Awareness Student Contest are not allowed to be submitted for the 2016 contest.
All entries must be the students’ original work. While we recognize that existing sources will be used for inspiration and research, FTBS reserves the right to disqualify an entry if we suspect plagiarism.
FTBS reserves the rights for reproduction of submissions and student work to be used as appropriate in all our media outlets.
All winners will be notified by email the day before they are publically announced on the website.
FTBS promises to run this contest fairly, ethically, and with integrity.
Any student in grades 6-8 or the international or homeschool equivalent is eligible for the middle school division.
Any student in grades 9-12 or the international or homeschool equivalent is eligible for the high school division.
Students from any country may enter.
Students must have one or more adult sponsors– usually your parent or teacher is your sponsor. Homeschooled students may put down their homeschool teacher’s name. Please emailinfo@fromthebowseat.org if you are unable to meet this requirement.
As long as you were a high school or middle school student for any amount of time during the Contest (Fall 2015 – June 2016) then you are eligible to enter.
IMPORTANT: Please visit thewebsite for more information about this contest
To enter the contest, submit both your work and reflection. Entries are due by June 13, 2016, at 11:59pm EST.
Please name your file in the following manner:

Main Entry File: CATEGORY-FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME-1
Additional files (for art): CATEGORY-FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME-2, CATEGORY-FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME-3
Reflection: CATEGORY-FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME-Reflection

For example, Michael Jackson submitting photos of his painting would name his files:
ART-MICHAEL-JACKSON-1
ART-MICHAEL-JACKSON-2
ART-MICHAEL-JACKSON-3
ART-MICHAEL-JACKSON-Reflection

And Lupita Ngyong’o submitting her film would name her files:
FILM-LUPITA-NGYONGO
FILM-LUPITA-NGYONGO-Reflection
Inquiries
www.Ihechiopara.com