This page contains archived information and links for the 2014 "Climate Change in Focus" student video contest, which has now closed. Visit our winners' page for more details.

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The National Environmental Education Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are partnering to bring you this climate change student video contest. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a video that is 30-120 seconds long (so 2 minutes maximum) and that answers these two questions:

• Why do you care about climate change?
• How are you reducing carbon pollution or preparing for the impacts of climate change?

Your video should describe how climate change affects you, your family, friends, and community, now or in the future. Be cool! Be creative! Use storytelling or images or shadow puppets or anything that explains the steps you're taking, or could take, to reduce carbon pollution and prepare for a changing climate. Feel free to recruit your friends and make it a group project (one prize will be awarded for each winning entry).

See below for all of the contest details. For ideas to get you started on your video masterpiece, and a road map to more information, visit the web page Climate Change Facts and Resources: Ideas to Get You Started on Your Video Masterpiece. If you’ve already reviewed all the details below and have created your video - Apply Now!

Prizes!

• The first 100 students who enter will receive a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine
• 1st Place: Solar Charging Backpack...and Your Video featured on EPA's website for all to see!
• 2nd Place: Pulse Jump Rope (generates energy to charge your phone)
• 3rd Place: Soccket Soccer Ball (turns kinetic energy from play into electrical energy that can be used to power small devices)

Note about class prizes: Winning videos submitted as part of a school project will also receive special recognition by EPA and NEEF and a plaque for their school.

Solar Charging Backpack

Pulse Jump Rope

Soccket Soccer Ball

 

*Prizes selected and purchased by the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Who can enter?

The contest is open to U.S. residents who are ages 11 to 14 on or before January 10, 2014. Videos must be created and produced by individuals who meet these criteria.

Important: In order to enter your video in the contest, we'll need your parent or guardian to fill out an application form and submit a parental consent form (PDF) (3 pp, 199K, About PDF) and your video online (see the next section to learn how).

Note for Teachers: This video contest would make a great project for your middle-school class. If teachers wish to upload a video on behalf of their students, they must first obtain and submit parental consent forms (PDF) (3 pp, 199K, About PDF) for all students whose names or images appear in the video. This ensures compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and EPA's Children's Privacy Policy.

How do I get started?

Be sure to review the web page Climate Change Facts and Resources: Ideas to Get You Started on Your Video Masterpiece. This page provides key facts, important definitions, questions for exploration, and links to great resources.

Also check out our list of video-making suggestions (PDF) (2 pp, 310K, About PDF) that every award-winning director should know.

How do I enter?

For students:

1. Read the web page Climate Change Facts and Resources: Ideas to Get You Started on Your Video Masterpiece, do some additional research using the resources listed in it, and then create a video that is 30-120 seconds long and answers the two questions above. Also see our helpful video-making suggestions (PDF) (2 pp, 310K, About PDF).
2. Ask your parent or guardian to read all the information on this Web page carefully to be sure you’re eligible to enter and that your video and music are within our guidelines (see our Contest Technical Guidelines). For teachers, please see below.
3. Finally, when you're ready, have your parent or guardian submit your application form and upload your video. The previous link will take you to the website of our project partner, the National Environmental Education Foundation, who will collect the entries for judging. Once we have the form and video, your parent or guardian will be notified via email that your entry was received.

For teachers:

1. Have your middle-school class read the web page Climate Change Facts and Resources: Ideas to Get You Started on Your Video Masterpiece, do some additional research using the resources listed in it, and then create a video that is 30-120 seconds long and answers the two questions above. Also see our helpful video-making suggestions (PDF) (2 pp, 310K, About PDF).
2. Obtain parental consent forms (PDF) (3 pp, 199K, About PDF) for all students whose names or images will appear in the video. (This ensures compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and EPA's Children's Privacy Policy.
3. Make sure the final video meets all the Contest Technical Guidelines.
4. Submit an application form, parental consent forms (PDF) (3 pp, 199K, About PDF), and upload the video at the website of our project partner, NEEF. Please note that videos uploaded without a parental consent form will not be considered for the contest and will be deleted from the system in order to comply with EPA's Children's Privacy Policy.

When is the deadline?

The deadline for submitting entries has been extended to March 18, 2014 at 3:00 PM (ET). Winners will be announced to the public on this website on or around April 22, 2014. Winners will be notified via email.

How will the videos be judged?

Videos will be judged based on how well you answered the contest questions, your overall creativity, video quality, production, presentation, and the scientific accuracy of your content. If you're really interested in the nitty-gritty details, you can read our official judging criteria form (PDF) (1 pg, 145K, About PDF).

Contest Technical Guidelines

Videos

Below is a list of technical requirements for your video submission. Ignoring these can lead to disqualification of your wonderful creation, so follow these carefully:

• Video files must be 30-120 seconds long.
• Video files must be in one of the following formats: .mp4, .mov, .avi, or .wmv.
• Maximum video file size is 2GB.
• Minimum video quality is 480 Standard Quality (704 x 480 dimensions). HD quality is preferable, either 720 (1280 x 720 dimensions), or 1080 (1920 x 1080 dimensions).
• Videos must be recorded and produced in English.
• Videos can't contain or encourage dangerous or unsafe activities. For example, if we get a video featuring cycling or rock climbing, and there's no helmet to be seen on the participants, better luck next time.
• Videos that contain any profanity will be disqualified, so be sure to edit it out.
• Videos must be an original creation; however, you're allowed to use stock footage.
• More than one video can be submitted per participant, if your creative juices are really flowing.

Music

If you want to use music in your video, then avoid using copyrighted music, which is music on the radio or purchased in a store. In other words, if you haven't talked to Rihanna about using one of her songs, then don't use it. On the other hand, you can use your own music (such as something you made with GarageBand or iMovie) or royalty-free music from a royalty-free music site. To find royalty-free music, check out Freeplaymusic .

Legal Stuff

The following are legal details that we have to share. If you have any questions about these, your parent or guardian can explain their meaning:

• This contest is sponsored by the nice folks at the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), with support from Abt Associates and Colehour+Cohen, so employees from these groups and each of their respective affiliated companies or agents and the immediate family members of, and any person living with these employees, are not eligible to enter.
• Video entries must be original, produced by amateurs and not have been produced for compensation or previously posted on any other Web page.
• EPA and others acting on its behalf, including NEEF, retain a irrevocable license to publish, use, duplicate, disclose, exhibit, display, modify or edit any video entry submitted for this contest. EPA and NEEF have the right, but not the obligation, to revise and use all entries for informational and marketing purposes and, upon notice to the participant, to allow its partner organizations to use the submitted entries without further compensation to the participant.
• Personal information collected for the contest will never be sold. The information collected for the contest will only be used to contact participants in direct relation to the contest.
• The contest winners' names (and the names of any finalists EPA may select) will be announced publicly, after consultation with the winners and finalists.
• All personal information collected through the contest websites for both EPA and NEEF will be destroyed within 6 months of the conclusion of the contest or otherwise managed in accordance with the appropriate EPA Records Schedule. Any videos posted to YouTube for publicity purposes will be subject to YouTube's privacy policy
• EPA and NEEF reserve the right to not select a winner if none of the entries received are judged to be high quality.
• Entries that include content that violates the rights of third parties (including, but not limited to, rights of copyright), are deemed to be obscene or libelous, contain violence or show attacks on individuals or organizations, portray political lobbying, promote or demonstrate political advocacy, litigation initiatives, initiatives with religious purposes, policy advocacy or any other forms of advocacy will be disqualified.
• For more information regarding EPA's privacy policy for minors, please see our parental consent form (PDF) (3 pp, 199K, About PDF) and EPA's Children's Privacy Policy.

Contest Questions & Inquiries

For questions about the "Climate Change in Focus" student video contest, please contact ClimateContest@neefusa.org.