Ocean Awareness Contest for Young People

Deadline: 9 June 2025

Applications are now open for Ocean Awareness Contest, a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change.

Theme

Connections to Nature: Looking Inside, Going Outside – encourages you to explore the natural world and your place in it. We invite you to think about your unique connection to nature and how being outside makes you feel. There are so many different ways that you can connect to nature, whether that’s exploring the history of the land you live on, volunteering in the fight against climate change, or taking a restorative walk in your local park. Go through the sub-themes and explore the topics that resonate with you. Share your relationship with the natural world through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. What is your connection to nature?

Prize Information

Cash awards are presented to winners in all of the categories at both the Junior and Senior Division levels.
- We All Rise Prize:
  - As part of Bow Seat’s long-term effort to increase the diversity of the program participants, they sponsor the We All Rise Prize, awards totaling $5,000 specifically for youth in the U.S. who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and or Latine.
  - Five $500 awards in both the Junior Division (ages 11-14) and Senior Division (ages 15-18)—a total of 10 awards—will be offered to students in the U.S.
- Voice of the Sea Award:
  - To celebrate this powerful mode of expression, Bow Seat recognizes one spoken word poetry submission with Voice of the Sea Awards in each age division: one $500 award for a Junior submission, and one $500 award for a Senior submission.
- Bay State Award (Massachusetts students only):
  - Up to 3 winners in each age division will each receive a $100 cash award.
- Hometown Award (Boston, Massachusetts students only):
  - This award recognizes talented students in Bow Seat’s hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Eligible participants must demonstrate financial need. Up to 3 winners in each age division will each receive a $100 cash award.

Eligibility Criteria

This is an international Contest and is open to students ages 11-18 who are enrolled in middle school or high school (or the homeschool equivalent) worldwide. Proof of age, identity, or eligibility may be required.
Students who have started college or university are not eligible to participate in the Contest.
Students ages 11-14 may enter the Junior Division. Students ages 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.
- All group members must meet age eligibility requirements (11-18 years old.)
- Award money will be split evenly among the group members.
- Submit to the age division of the group leader.
A student may submit (ie, have their name included in) only one entry per category. Therefore, a student may have a maximum of seven different submissions, one in each category.