Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest
Offered by Bow Seat Creative Action for Conservation · Free to apply
The Blue Planet Awareness Contest, formerly the Ocean Awareness Contest, is a free creative competition from the Boston nonprofit Bow Seat for students ages 11 to 18 worldwide. Students respond to an annual environmental theme with work in any of seven categories: handcrafted visual art, digital art, film, interactive and multimedia, performing arts, poetry and spoken word, or creative writing. A student may enter one piece per category. Students ages 15 to 18 compete in the Senior Division. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention winners in each category receive cash awards of up to $1,000, and the money can be spent however the student likes. Special prizes include the We All Rise Prize, ten $500 awards for US students who identify as Black, Indigenous or Latine, and a $500 Voice of the Sea award for spoken word in each division. Each entry needs an adult sponsor such as a teacher or parent. The 2027 contest closes June 7, 2027.
Other deadlines near this one
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- Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship ContestDue June 3, 2027 · $10,000 grand prize per category (dress and tux); $1,000 for 8 runners-up
- Kansas Teacher Service ScholarshipDue June 1, 2027 · Service-obligation scholarship; amount set by the Kansas Board of Regents
How hard is the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. No published applicant or winner counts exist for this award, so Solyo shows no odds figure.
- Odds
- no published selection data
- Paperwork
- ~12 hrs to file
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
- Fewer rivalsRestricted to specific intended majors
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors
- Planning to study the Arts or STEM
- Ages 11 to 18
- Ages 11 to 18 and enrolled in middle or high school (or homeschool equivalent); ages 15-18 enter the Senior Division
- Work must be created during the 2026-27 school year and respond to the contest theme
- Each entry needs an adult sponsor (teacher, parent, guardian or mentor)
- We All Rise Prize ($500 awards) is limited to US students who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or Latine
Personalized matching
Does your student actually qualify?
Not sure your student clears every rule above? Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is June 7, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around June 7 each year. Free to enter and open now; the late spring deadline fits after AP exams.
- Submissions due
- June 7, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET
- Winners announced
- November 2027
Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.
Common questions about the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest
How much is the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest worth?
The Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest awards up to $1,000.
When is the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest deadline?
The current deadline is June 7, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around June 7 each year. Free to enter and open now; the late spring deadline fits after AP exams.
Who is eligible for the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest?
Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors; Planning to study the Arts or STEM; Ages 11 to 18.
Does the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 12 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. No published applicant or winner counts exist for this award, so Solyo shows no odds figure. What is known: restricted to specific intended majors. Plan on about 12 hrs of work.
Is the Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest free to apply?
Yes. The Bow Seat Blue Planet Awareness Contest is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.