The last day to submit entries is March 15, 2019.

Eligibility
All students in grades 9-12 from the Lake Erie region of Ohio who are enrolled in recognized public, private, and home schools are eligible to participate. Schools, including home schools, must be in compliance with federal and state civil rightsand nondiscrimination statutes. We also encourage organizations and clubs that are not affiliated with schools to participate (ex. Scouts, 4-H, etc.). Students may work individually or in a group of no more than 10 students with an adult in a leadership role. There is no limitation on the number of entries a classroom, school, or organization may submit.

For a complete list of contest rules, download the Contest Rules & Information document, located under the "Resources" box.

Criteria
After learning about marine debris in the oceans and Great Lakes, students will develop a public service announcement which should focus on inspiring others to address marine debris. All must meet the requirements below:

• There should be 1 to 10 students per group entry.
• PSAs will be 30 seconds to 1 minute in length.
• Be creative! Different media (animation, stop-motion, live action, etc.) are all encouraged.
• Avoid any brand and product names as well as licensed music in the PSA (hide product names on debris items).

To enter, students and leaders need to submit:

• One 750-word summary per group of what they learned from the lesson/curriculum.
• Their PSA video on a DVD as a .MP4 video. Leaders, please verify this format before submitting.
• The entire PSA script.
• An entry form.
• Student releases.

Students are highly encouraged to check out the NOAA Marine Debris Program's website for information about marine debris and teachers are encouraged to use the “Communicating for a Clean Future” curriculum as a resource (Turning the Tide on Trash - pg 87).

Entries (entry form, DVD, script, lesson summary, and student releases) should be mailed to:

NOAA Marine Debris Program
Attn: Sarah Lowe
240 W. Lake St. - Unit C
Oak Harbor, OH 43449

All entries must be postmarked by Friday, March 15th, 2019. Please note that entries will not be returned.

If you have any questions, please contact either bixler.42@osu.edu or Sarah.Lowe@noaa.gov.

Donating Organizations:
NOAA Marine Debris Program
Ohio Sea Grant
The Ohio State University F.T. Stone Laboratory
Ohio Congressional District 9 (Rep. Marcy Kaptur)
Ohio Congressional District 16 (Rep. James Renacci)
Cedar Point Amusement Park
Lake Erie Charter Boat Association
Miller Ferry Boat Line

This contest was created in 2016 in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Ohio Sea Grant/OSU Stone Laboratory, and Ohio Congressional District 9 (Rep. Marcy Kaptur).