Bow Seat's 2026 Ocean Awareness Contest – Your Story, Our Ocean – encourages you to explore the many ways our ocean sustains, protects, and inspires us. Bow Seat invites you to think about your personal connection to the ocean – whether you’re coastal or landlocked – through the value it brings to your life. The benefits of the ocean are widespread and multifaceted, from food production to climate regulation to artistic inspiration. Go through the sub-themes and explore the topics that resonate with you. Share how the ocean has shaped your story through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. How does the ocean sustain, protect, and inspire you?
Quick Contest Details:
- Free to enter
- Open to students worldwide between the ages of 11 - 18
- Cash awards up to $1,000
- Submit by June 8, 2026
- Submissions accepted in:
- Visual Art: Handcrafted
- Visual Art: Digital
- Creative Writing
- Film
- Poetry & Spoken Word
- Performing Arts
- Interactive & Multimedia
- Explore the Submission Requirements to learn more about the Categories.
Competition Process
The Contest invites students to learn about the climate crisis and its impact on oceans; discover or imagine solutions at local, national, or global scales; and create work that explores hope in action.Submissions are accepted in:
- Visual Art: Handcrafted
- Visual Art: Digital
- Creative Writing
- Film
- Poetry & Spoken Word
- Performing Arts
- Interactive & Multimedia
Judging Criteria
Bow Seat judges are artists, writers, teachers, scientists, and of course, ocean-lovers! Each year, we also invite a cohort of Bow Seat student alumni and emerging artists to participate in Contest judging. Judges consider:- How well submissions address the annual theme of the Contest;
- Demonstration of artistic voice, originality, and imagination;
- Craftsmanship, including quality, technique, and skill in chosen medium; attention to detail; and accuracy of communicating issues; and
- If a submission meets category requirements (such as length, file type, etc.).
Participate
Website: www.bowseat.org/contest
Managing Organization: Bow Seat: Creative Action for Conservation
Eligibility:
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. Students who are enrolled in a college or university are not eligible to participate. Proof of age, identity, or eligibility may be required. 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. Award money will be split evenly among the group members. A student may submit (i.e., have their name included in) only one entry per category. Therefore, a student may have a maximum of six different submissions, one in each category.
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. Students who are enrolled in a college or university are not eligible to participate. Proof of age, identity, or eligibility may be required. 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. Award money will be split evenly among the group members. A student may submit (i.e., have their name included in) only one entry per category. Therefore, a student may have a maximum of six different submissions, one in each category.
Registration Dates
September 15, 2025
12:01am PDT
Registration Opens
June 8, 2026
8:59pm PDT