Ocean Awareness Contest for School Students 2018

The Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs is an organization based in the United States that aims to activate the next wave of ocean leaders through the arts and science. It invests in the next generation of leaders who will think and act like artists looking at issues from new perspectives, posing meaningful questions, and discovering innovative solutions. It also believes that changing the world starts by inspiring and energizing youth to vividly imagine a better future, and empowering them to create it themselves.

The Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs invites students aged 11-18 worldwide to participate in the Ocean Awareness Contest for 2018 to discuss the theme “Our Oceans in a Changing Climate”. The contest is open to artists, thinkers and activists who are concerned with the future of human and natural communities to use their creative voices to explore and advocate for issues related to climate change and oceans.

Eligibility criteria: The work submitted should explore the relationship between human systems, climate change, and oceans. The challenge is to create a piece that not only presents issues, but also communicates a message that inspires others to act. The contest is divided into two groups in terms of age, keeping in mind that all students must provide the contact information of an adult sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.):

[1] Junior division: Age 11-14 before the contest deadline June 18, 2018

[2] Senior division: Age 15-18 before the contest deadline June 18, 2018

Contest categories:

Art:

1. [1] It may be in any medium, including painting, printmaking, digital art, sculpture, photography and much more
2. [2] Participants may submit up to 3 photos of their work of art in high resolution
3. [3] Files must be JPGs, PNGs, GIFs, or PDFs. ZIP files are not accepted
4. [4] If the participant’s work of art is influenced or inspired by someone else’s work of art, credit should be given to the original source in the bibliography

Poetry:

1. [1] Files must be Word or PDF
2. [2] Submission length must be no more than 1 page for the junior division and no more than 2 pages for the senior division

Prose:

1. [1] All forms of written interpretations of the theme are acceptable (except poetry) such as fiction, nonfiction, personal memoirs, analytical essays, nature writing, political advocacy, news articles or any other form of prose
2. [2] Files must be Word or PDF
3. [3] Submission length must be 3-5 pages for the junior division and 5-8 pages for the senior division
4. [4] Document must be in English, in 12pt, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and 1-inch margins

Films:

1. [1] Submissions may include documentaries, dance, animations, or other types of film (but not spoken poetry or original music compositions, which have their own categories)
   
2. [2] Film must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo to provide a URL for the application form, and must be 2-4 minutes in length
3. [3] Film must include a title and credits for any information, images, audio or video clips that are not the participant's
4. [4] Film should be named: “2018 Ocean Awareness Student Contest (Film) – Film Title”

Music:

1. [1] Submissions may include audio documentaries, song parodies, or original compositions in any musical genre
2. [2] Submission must be no more than 4 minutes in length
3. [3] A video of the participant may be recorded performing the work, and must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo to provide a URL for the application form
4. [4] Credits for any information, images, audio or video clips that are not the participant's must be included (If you create a song parody, you must credit the original songwriter)
5. [5] If the submission has lyrics, a Word or PDF document must be uploaded of the song lyrics in English (If the song is performed in a language other than English, an English translation must be provided)

Awards will be given as follows:

Gold Award: $1,000 to the winner in the junior division and $1,500 to the winner in the senior division

Silver Award: $750 to the winner in the junior division and $1,000 to the winner in the senior division

Bronze Award: $250 to the winner in the junior division and $500 to the winner in the senior division

Honorable Mention: $100 to the winner in the junior division and $500 to the winner in the senior division

Sponsor Recognition Award: $750 to each of the two winners in both divisions

Note: All submissions must be in English and all participants are required to include a Word or PDF document with the title and a personal reflection on the work of up to 250 words. A bibliography of cited works should also be included.