Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Scholarship Value: $1,500

Awards Available: 38

Award Deadline: Register to View


The 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest  Connections to Nature: Looking Inside, Going Outside – encourages you to explore the natural world and your place in it. We invite you to think about your unique connection to nature and how being outside makes you feel. There are so many different ways that you can connect to nature, whether that’s exploring the history of the land you live on, volunteering in the fight against climate change, or taking a restorative walk in your local park. Go through the sub-themes and explore the topics that resonate with you. Share your relationship with the natural world through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia. What is your connection to nature?

A NEW CHALLENGE

Last year, we asked you to tell your climate story  your personal experiences, insights, and perceptions about our changing climate reality. Your connection to nature may relate to your climate story, but there’s so much more to nature than climate change! We challenge you to dive into this year’s theme and explore your connection to the natural world through the lenses of:

  • Generational Knowledge
  • Concrete Jungle
  • Resilience
  • Healthy Environments, Healthy Humans

We hope that these sub-themes can serve as jumping off points, prompting you toward further exploration! Be sure to check out our past winners and explore our broader Resource Studio for ideas and guidance.

Our Resource Studio is a unique space for creative exploration and a jumping-off point for deep inquiry of climate change, ocean conservation, and using art and creativity as tools in environmental movements.

Who May Enter

Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate in the Ocean Awareness Contest. Enter the division based on your age at the time of entry:

Junior Division: Age 11-14

Senior Division: Age 15-18

Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size. All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.) Students who have started college or university are not eligible to participate in the Contest.

Submissions are accepted in:

  • Visual Art: Handcrafted
  • Visual Art: Digital
  • Poetry & Spoken Word
  • Creative Writing
  • Film
  • Performing Arts: Music & Dance
  • Interactive & Multimedia
View Scholarship

Be Bold Scholarship

Deadline: Feb 01, 2026
$25,000
The "Be Bold" Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile. It takes less than 2 minutes to apply.To us, boldest does not mean "best", or "most accomplished". Being bold means being:EarnestDeterminedMovingThe scholarship will be awarded to the student whose profile is most bold, according to these characteristics.Furthermore, the scholarship will be...

$10,000
The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school, you are eligible for our no essay scholarship.This scholarship...

Niche $25,000 Scholarship

Deadline: Mar 31, 2026
$25,000
Niche can help with every step of the college search including paying for it. We're giving one student $25,000 to help cover tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required!High school seniors who apply can also be eligible to receive acceptance (and scholarship!) offers from our Niche Direct Admissions partner colleges.Apply for our $25,000 No Essay Scholarship...

10 Words or Less Scholarship

Deadline: Apr 15, 2026
$1,000
Scholarship Eligibility:A) Anyone who is between the ages of 14-25 who will be attending school in the Fall of 2026.B) This scholarship is provided by StudentScholarships.org. In order to apply for our scholarship follow these instructions:1. Go to www.facebook.com/myscholarships and place a comment on any post you see answering the question:In 10 words or less, tell us why you deserve...

Tillman Scholarship

Deadline: Feb 01, 2026
$40,000
The Pat Tillman Foundation recognizes remarkable service members, veterans, and military spouses as the next generation of leaders. Through academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development, and a global community of peers and supporters, the Foundation empowers these individuals to make a meaningful impact as they transition into their next chapter of service beyond self.Find eligibility requirements, scholar benefits, and step-by-step instructions...

Davidson Fellows Scholarships

Deadline: Feb 11, 2026
$100,000
We award $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000 scholarships to gifted and high-achieving students, 18 years old or under, who have completed a significant piece of work.Application Submission & DeadlineThe 2026 application is now available until February 11, 2026.The application process has two parts! The initial portion asks for a brief description of the project/portfolio to ensure eligibility. The second part of...

Scholarships for Military Children

Deadline: Feb 11, 2026
$2,000
The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize military families' contributions to the fighting force's readiness and to celebrate the commissary's role in the military family community.The application period for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on December 10, 2025 and close on February 11, 2026. Recipients will be notified of their status by mail on or about...

Club for the Future Scholarship

Deadline: Feb 16, 2026
$10,000
AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship was created in 2023 to support students interested in pursuing a degree in aerospace. This scholarship is specifically designed to empower and inspire students who have faced unique challenges, such as disabilities, difficult socioeconomic circumstances, or being the first in their family to attend college.Made possible by a collaboration with Club...

McDonald's HACER National Scholarship

Deadline: Feb 17, 2026
$100,000
To date, more than $33 million in McDonald’s HACER National Scholarships have been awarded to Hispanic and Latino students across the country. The McDonald's HACER National Scholarship Program offers scholarships to up to 30 outstanding students from all over the country. It continues to provide educational opportunities to help narrow the gap that exists for Hispanic and Latino college-bound students,...

ELCA Fund for Leaders Scholarships

Deadline: Feb 20, 2026
$5,000
Fund for Leaders has been offering scholarships for students at ELCA seminaries who are pursuing rostered ministry in the ELCA since 2000. In the 2025-2026 academic year alone, the fund will provide nearly $3.2 million in scholarships to 458 ELCA seminary students.Eligibility and selection criteria vary across the different types of scholarships available:The ELCA Fund for Leaders Direct Full-Tuition Scholarship...