Bow Seat’s 2026 Ocean Awareness Contest—Your Story, Our Ocean: How Our Ocean Sustains, Protects, and Inspires Us—invites youth between the ages of 11 and 18 to think about their personal connection to the ocean—whether they are coastal or landlocked. How does the ocean sustain, protect, and inspire them? What value does the ocean bring to all our lives?
The benefits of the ocean are widespread and multifaceted, from food production to climate regulation to artistic inspiration. Students’ challenge is to share how the ocean has shaped their story through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. Submissions are accepted in the following categories: Visual Art: Handcrafted; Visual Art: Digital; Poetry & Spoken Word; Creative Writing; Film; Performing Arts: Music & Dance; and Interactive & Multimedia. All entries must be students’ original work and accompanied by a written reflection that describes their creative process and what they learned through exploration of the Ocean Awareness Contest theme.
Students are encouraged to use the Bow Seat Resource Studio for inspiration. The Resource Studio is a unique space for creative exploration and a jumping-off point for deep inquiry of climate change, ocean conservation, and use of art and creativity as tools in environmental movements.
Youth aged 11–14 may enter the Junior Division; those aged 15–18 may enter the Senior Division. Contestants can participate as individuals or as a club, class, or group of any size. However, they must have an adult sponsor: a teacher, parent, guardian, mentor, or other supporting adult.
The deadline for submissions is June 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). All participants will be notified of the results, and the winners will be announced in November 2026. Cash awards of up to $1,000 will be presented to the winners in all the categories at both the Junior and the Senior Division levels. Each category will be judged separately and will have its own Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention winners.