Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest Opening Soon
Offered by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
About This Scholarship
The Ocean Awareness Contest is Bow Seat's flagship program, open to students ages 11 to 18 worldwide who respond to an annual ocean-conservation theme through visual art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, performing arts, or interactive and multimedia work. Entries compete in Junior (11-14) and Senior (15-18) divisions, individually or in groups, with cash awards up to $1,000.
Bow Seat was founded in 2011 by Linda Cabot and her daughters after making a documentary about environmental problems in the Gulf of Maine convinced them that creating art engaged young people in a way textbooks and lectures didn't. The Massachusetts nonprofit now describes itself as the world's largest environmental youth program for the creative arts and says it has engaged more than 42,000 young creatives since then.
Each cycle runs on a school-year calendar: a new theme is announced in the fall, entries are due in June, and winners are announced in late November. College students aren't eligible, so this is strictly a middle- and high-school opportunity — a well-run alternative for creative students who dread essay scholarships.
Eligibility
- Ages 11-18 worldwide (junior division 11-14, senior division 15-18)
- Middle and high school students; college students are not eligible
- Individual or group entries accepted
- Requires an adult sponsor (teacher, parent, or mentor)
How To Apply
- Create an original work responding to the annual theme in any of the seven accepted categories (art, film, poetry, creative writing, music/dance, interactive media)
- Register with an adult sponsor and upload your submission at bowseat.org
- Winners are announced in late fall after the June deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this only for artists?
No — categories span visual art, filmmaking, poetry and spoken word, prose, music, dance, and interactive media, so nearly any creative format qualifies.