How to Enter

Step 1: Review & Research

REVIEW THE THEME

The Ocean Awareness Contest theme changes every year. Be sure to review the description of the 2019 theme, Presence of Future, before starting your piece. Submissions are judged based on how well they address the annual theme.

Preview submission form >

READ THE RULES

This is an international contest open to students ages 11-18. Make sure you read all of the Contest rules, submission requirements, and other details before you get started.

DO YOUR RESEARCH & GET INSPIRED

We have many resources on our website to help you get started on your submission, including tips and inspiration, resources for learning more about climate change impacts on our ocean, links to organizations working on climate change, and much more!

Explore Resources

Questions to Guide Research & Spark Inspiration

  • Ho­w do human systems affect the ocean? How does the ocean affect life on land? How are ocean health and human health connected?
  • What responsibilities do humans have to the natural world and its inhabitants?
  • How does the ocean play a role in mitigating climate change?
  • Who is responsible for climate change?
  • How large is your carbon footprint? How do you play a role in causing – and preventing – the impact of climate change on our ocean?
  • Will climate change affect everyone equally? How will your community have to adapt?
  • How can we communicate stories about our ocean and climate change that make an impact on others and compel them to act?
  • What strategies do artists use to help us understand climate change as well as to move us to feel something about it?

Potential Research Topics

  • Ocean acidification
  • Species migration and extinction
  • Coral bleaching
  • Sea level rise
  • Global carbon cycle
  • Climate displacement and refugees
  • Melting ice
  • Extreme weather events … and much more!
Step 2: Create

CHOOSE A CATEGORY

Please review all submission requirements carefully. Students may submit one entry per category, meaning that you may enter up to five pieces, one in each category. If you submit more than one entry in a category (for example, two poems), those additional entries will not be counted or judged.

Art

All visual interpretations of the theme are welcome in this category. Your work may be in any medium, including painting, drawing, printmaking, digital art, sculpture, photography, and much more.

Submission Requirements:

  • We accept digital images of your artwork in the following file types: JPG; PNG; GIF; or PDF. We cannot accept .zip files.
  • Name your file(s) “Ocean Awareness_Your Full Name_Art”
  • You may submit up to 3 angles/views of your artwork.
  • Make sure your files are high resolution, not crooked, and can easily be viewed
  • Reflection: All submissions must include a written reflection (artist’s statement) of up to 250 words. This will be a separate question on the submission form.
  • Works Cited: If applicable, please include a bibliography (any style) crediting sources and citing any ideas, facts, quotes, or existing media used in your artwork that are not your own.

Using Others’ Artwork for Inspiration
We encourage you to learn from and be inspired by other environmental artists and designers as you create your piece. If your Art submission is influenced by someone else’s work of art, or if your submission uses someone else’s image/artwork/photograph (for example, in a collage), you must give credit to the original source in your bibliography.

Poetry

All pieces of written and spoken poetry that interpret the theme are acceptable in this category.

Submission Requirements:

  • Name your file “Ocean Awareness_Your Full Name_Poetry”
  • Format all submissions in 12-point type, Times New Roman font, single-spaced with 1-inch margins. Include the title of your work at the top of the page.
  • Files should be a Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF document.
  • Submission length:
    • Junior Division: no more than 1 page
    • Senior Division: no more than 2 pages
  • Your submission should be written in English.
  • Reflection: All submissions must include a written reflection (artist’s statement) of up to 250 words. This will be a separate question on the submission form.
  • Works Cited: If applicable, please include a bibliography (any style) crediting sources and citing any ideas, facts, or quotes used in your work that are not your own.

Video (optional):

You may include a video of you performing your poem. If you choose to submit a video, please note that it should be in the following format:

  • No more than 3 minutes in length.
  • Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo. Provide the video URL in your online submission form. Do NOT submit a Word or PDF document with a link to the video.
  • Name your upload as: “2019 Ocean Awareness Contest (Poetry) – Poem Title”
  • Paste your reflection and bibliography into the video description.
Prose

All forms of written interpretations of the theme (except poetry) are acceptable in this category. Feel free to write fiction, nonfiction, personal memoirs, analytical essays, nature writing, political advocacy, op-eds or news articles, or any other form of prose.

Submission Requirements:

  • Files should be a Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF document.
  • Name your file “Ocean Awareness_Your Full Name_Prose”
  • Document should be in 12-point type, Times New Roman font; double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Include the title of your work in this document.
  • Submission length:
    • Junior Division: 750-1,250 words (3-5 pages)
    • Senior Division: 1,250-2,000 words (5-8 pages)
  • Your submission should be written in English.
  • Reflection: All submissions must include a written reflection (artist’s statement) of up to 250 words. This will be a separate question on the submission form.
  • Works Cited: Please use in-text citations (parenthetical or footnotes, in any style) and include a bibliography (any style) for any ideas, facts, and quotes that are not your own.
Film

Submissions may include documentaries, dance, animations, or other types of film (but not spoken poetry or original music compositions, which have their own categories).

Submission Requirements:

  • 2-4 minutes in length.
  • Upload your film to YouTube or Vimeo and provide the public URL on the submission form. Ensure that your video is not private.
  • Include a title and credits in the film itself for any information, images, audio, or video clips that are not your own.
  • Name your film as “2019 Ocean Awareness Contest (Film) – Film Title”
  • Your submission should be in English or have English subtitles.
  • Reflection: All submissions must include a written reflection (artist’s statement) of up to 250 words. This will be a separate question on the submission form.
  • Works Cited: If applicable, please include a bibliography (any style) crediting sources and citing any ideas, facts, or quotes used in your work that are not your own. We encourage you to use copyright-free images, footage, and music to avoid issues when the video is posted.
Music

Submissions may include audio documentaries, song parodies, or original compositions in any musical genre.

Submission Requirements:

  • Submission should be no more than 4 minutes in length.
  • Record a video of yourself performing the work. The video may include other images or video, but must contain footage of your performance.
  • Upload your performance to YouTube or Vimeo and provide the public URL on the submission form. Ensure that your video is not private.
  • Name your film as “2019 Ocean Awareness Contest (Music) – Song Title”
  • If your submission has lyrics, you must upload a Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF document of your song lyrics (in English). You may include lyrics as captions in the video (recommended). If your song is performed in a language other than English, you must provide an English translation of the lyrics.
  • Reflection: All submissions must include a written reflection (artist’s statement) of up to 250 words. This will be a separate question on the submission form.
  • Works Cited: Include credits in the film itself for any information, images, audio, or video clips that are not your own. If you create a song parody, you must credit the original songwriter. If applicable, please include a bibliography (any style) crediting sources and citing any ideas, facts, or quotes used in your work that are not your own. We encourage you to use copyright-free images, footage, and other media to avoid issues when the video is posted.

WRITE YOUR REFLECTION

A written reflection is required to accompany your submission, regardless of category. Reflect on your creative process: what inspired you, what you learned, what you felt, how you or your work changed, what challenged you, and what you want viewers to know about your work.

The reflection helps judges understand more about you, your work, and the issue you are addressing. It is like the introduction to a book or an artist’s statement in a museum. The judges will not lower your score for a poorly written reflection, but writing a thoughtful and personal reflection will certainly help the judges understand you and your work better, and you will likely do better in the Contest!

Reflection Requirements:

  • Length: 100-250 words
  • Questions to consider: Why did you create what you did? How did you create it? What inspired you? What do you feel or what have you learned through your exploration of climate change? What action(s) will you personally take now that you’ve learned about this issue?
  • Your reflection should be written in English.
Step 3: Submit

Students must create an account and submit their work through our online system. Bow Seat cannot accept submissions via email or physical mail.

Preview submission form >

The Ocean Awareness Contest deadline is June 17, 2019.

Submission Checklist:

  • Your submission (art, poetry, prose, film, or music), which meets the category submission requirements
  • A title for your submission
  • Your written reflection
  • Your contact information
  • Contact information for an adult sponsor (required for all participants)
  • Parent/guardian consent (required if under 13 years old)
Submit
Step 4: Connect  & Continue

SHARE YOUR WORK

Thank you for using your voice and passion to speak up for our blue planet. Now, share this opportunity with the other ocean lovers you know! By giving young people an opportunity to express their ideas and think creatively about ocean conservation, we hope to create a wave of action around the world. Connect with us at @fromthebowseat and use the hashtag #PresenceOfFuture if you share your work online.

TAKE ACTION

The work isn’t over just because you’ve submitted! Continue to connect with organizations working on climate action, ocean conservation, and social justice. Use your creative voice to speak up and out on local, regional, national, and global issues!

Contest Judging

All 2019 Contest results will be announced in January 2020. Winners and their sponsors will be notified via email before the results are publicly announced.

Bow Seat Judges are artists, writers, teachers, scientists, and of course, ocean-lovers! Meet the team >

  • Submissions are judged based on:
  • How well they address the annual theme of the Contest
  • Artistic voice, originality, and imagination
  • Craftsmanship, including quality, technique, attention to detail, and accuracy of communicating issues
  • Meeting the Contest submission requirements (such as length, file type, etc.)

Judging begins immediately after the Contest ends, and we take the time to fairly judge each and every entry to the Contest. We receive thousands of entries and our team of judges put in over 2,000 hours of cumulative work each year reviewing your submissions.

We know that you’re anxious to hear Contest results. We take an enormous amount of pride in the care we put into the Contest, and we appreciate your patience as we continue to do so!

Information for Teachers & Sponsors

Whether you are a teacher who assigned the Contest as a class project, a parent helping your child explore their creative potential, or an adult who was asked to be a sponsor for a student submitting on their own, your responsibilities are simple: all we need is to be able to contact you in case we have problems getting in touch with your sponsored student.

When your student submits their work, they will be asked to provide your name and email address. You will receive a confirmation email once they submit so that you can have it on record as well.

We have many resources on our website – including articles, lesson plans, and videos – to help you and your student learn more about issues related to climate change and our ocean that may inform their submission.

I am a teacher with many submissions from my class. Can I submit on their behalf?

Yes. You may create a single account under your name and submit multiple entries on behalf of your class, but you must submit separate entries for each individual student, unless they are participating as a group.

EDUCATOR INNOVATION AWARDS

If you are a teacher who uses the 2019 Contest in your classroom, we want to hear from you! Bow Seat grants nomination-based Educator Innovation Awards of $750 to acknowledge the efforts of individuals who are teaching students about ocean issues and empowering them to be stewards of our blue planet, while meeting important educational standards. Learn more & apply >

Rules & Eligibility

Competition Period

  • All submissions must be received by June 17, 2019, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) to be considered in the 2019 Ocean Awareness Contest. The online platform will close automatically at the Contest deadline. Please plan accordingly!

Who May Enter

  • This is an international Contest and is open to students in middle school or high school (or the homeschool equivalent) worldwide. Proof of age, identity, or eligibility may be required.
  • Students age 11-14 may enter the Junior Division. Students age 15-18 may enter the Senior Division. Please enter the age division based on your age at the time of entry.
  • Participants under the age of 13 must have a parent or legal guardian complete a Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Parent/Guardian Consent Form with their submission.
  • Entries may be submitted by an individual or group of unlimited size. If you submit as a group, there must be one group leader who will serve as the contact person for the group. All of the names of the group members must be listed in the submission. Award money will be split among the group members.
  • Any student may submit (i.e., have their name included in) only one entry per category. Therefore, a student may have a maximum of five different submissions, one in each category.

How to Enter

  • There is no fee to enter the Contest.
  • Students must create an account and submit their work through our online system by the Contest deadline June 17, 2019, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET). Bow Seat cannot accept submissions via email or physical mail.
  • Students must have an adult sponsor – usually a teacher. Homeschooled students may put down their homeschool teacher’s name.
  • Entries submitted previously to the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest will not be considered in the 2019 Contest. Submissions must be created during the 2018-2019 academic year (between June 2018 and June 2019).
  • All entries must be the students’ original work. While we recognize that existing sources will be used for inspiration and research, Bow Seat reserves the right to disqualify an entry at any time if we suspect or determine plagiarism.
  • Entries must be submitted in English or have an English translation in order to be considered for judging.

Additional

  • By entering the Ocean Awareness Contest, you agree to Bow Seat’s Terms of Use.
  • Bow Seat promises to run this Contest fairly, ethically, and with integrity.
  • All judging decisions are final.
  • All winners and their sponsors will be notified by email before they are publicly announced on our website.
  • Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs reserves the right to use students’ work for marketing and promotional purposes in any and all media.
  • Winners will be required to verify their eligibility by completing an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and, where lawful, a Publicity Release during the award claim process.