Weather + Climate Day invites Middle and High School students (Grades 5-8 and 9-12) from across Maryland, Delaware and Washington DC to participate in a contest that examines the theme.

CLIMATE CHANGE: FROM YOUR COMMUNITY TO OUR WORLD

Please submit an entry that addresses one or more of these issues related to climate change, its causes, impacts, solutions, and/or science.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
•    How is climate change affecting weather, the environment, and biodiversity — both locally and globally? 
•    How is climate change impacting the oceans, including: ocean life, ocean currents, rising sea levels, and coastal habitats? 

SCIENCE
•    Explain the role of science in understanding our changing climate.
•    How are rising atmospheric greenhouse gases changing our weather, oceans, animal and plant life, water resources, and more? 
•    How will science help us solve climate change? 

LIVES + LIVELIHOODS
•    How do you see climate change impacting the people in your community and their jobs? 
•    Are any of the following playing a part: agricultural practices (adding to or reversing climate change); warming and acidifying Bay waters (changing habitat); more extreme weather events, etc.? 
•    Do you see opportunities to build a greener or more resilient economy? 

LEADERSHIP + SOLUTIONS
•    What’s going on in your community to fight climate change? 
•    Is there an individual person you’d like to tell us about, or an action that’s making a difference? 

The contest deadline is March 1, 2016.  SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE.

For more information, see the Weather + Climate Day Flyer.

Eligibility

• Students must be in Grades 5-8 or Grades 9-12 to enter.
• Both individual and group entries are acceptable. Groups are limited to no more than five participants.

Format for entries

Entrants can submit their work in one of three categories:

• artistic expression (dance, song, hip-hop/rap, drama, poetry, art)
• news report or weathercast
• science poster or presentation (e. g. Bill Nye, Mr. Wizard, researcher).

Entries are limited to 2 minutes for audio/video presentations, or a maximum 400 words in written or poster entries. If submitting a movie or audio file, please upload to YouTube/Vimeo/SoundCloud and send us the URL for submission.

Please tell us which issue or issues you are answering and who you imagine your audience is?

Judging criteria

Entries will be judged on their relevance to the theme, "Climate Change: From Your Community to Our World," scientific accuracy and creativity. 

Prizes

All students who enter the contest will receive one free admission to the National Aquarium on April 9th; finalists will receive up to two free admissions. Finalists and their guests will be invited to an end-of-day reception where winners will be announced and prizes awarded.

Grand Prize - $500 prize for each entrant + field trip to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes awarded in both middle and high school age groups.
Grades 5-8 and 9-12: 
1st Place - $250 prize
2nd Place - $150 prize
3rd Place - $100 prize

Finalists will be invited to present their entries, and honorable mentions will be acknowledged at Weather + Climate Day at the National Aquarium on Saturday, April 9, 2016.

How to Submit Your Entry

Click here to submit your entry.

Deadlines

All entries must be received by March 1, 2016.

Questions?

Please send an email with any questions you have to WeatherClimateContest (@) climatecentral.org