Youth Opportunities - Saturday March 19th, 2011

Saturday March 19, 2011

[UPDATE: It may be useful to browse these old listings as many programs are annual, but for more current contests and competitions, head to the Youth Opportunities page.]

**Every Saturday I post about current youth opportunities that are open to submissions from Ontario residents, which naturally includes a lot of contests and competitions open to youth across Canada and the US. Please note I'm not attesting to the legitimacy or quality of anything listed here - read the fine print carefully and make your own judgement call, especially if a submission fee or creative rights are involved!**

One thing I haven't been able to mention as an opportunity open to Canadian teens is the Poetry in Voice Poetry Recitation Contest for Canadian High Schools, since in its first year it was only open to 12 Ontario schools as part of a pilot program. But the plan is to open the program to all schools in Ontario and Quebec in 2012, then across the country in 2013. In the meantime, the Finals for this year are coming up on April 12th in Toronto!

"Science Can Fix That!" Video Contest
• Open to Ontario residents age 6-18 (or 19 and enrolled full-time in secondary school)
• Deadline May 3rd, 2011*
Youth Science Ontario's "Science Can Fix That" Video Contest is looking for videos under three minutes long that "propose a creative, original, scientific solution" to a challenge facing today's society. You can submit as an individual or as teams of two. The prize is $250 and an invitation to screen the winning video at the 2011 Youth Science Ontario Showcase in June. *If your regional science fair is participating in the video contest, you must enter through the regional fair and the deadline should be the day of the fair. This includes Ottawa, North Bay, Quinte, and London District. Check out the winning video from 2010 below, "iCharge It" by Alex Rhee:

National Post-Secondary Play Writing Competition
• Open to Canadian citizens/permanent residents who are full-time post-secondary students at a Canadian institution
• Deadline April 29th, 2011 (post-marked)
The Playwright's Guild of Canada is holding a National Post-Secondary Play Writing Competition, offering a first prize of $1000 and a second prize of $750. Plays must be primarily in English, between 70 and 120 minutes in length, and an original work (some adaptations are allowed). There is no entry fee, but playwrights may only submit one script.

Summer Camp at the Art Gallery of Ontario Contest
• Camps are for ages 6 to 13 (must be 19+ to enter)
• Deadline April 12, 2011 (4pm)
Okay, so this is one kids will have to ask their parents to enter, but BunchFamily.ca has two weeks at an AGO summer camp up for grabs. These are day camps, so you'll need to be in the area to make use of the prize.

Canada's Next Green Journalist
• Open to Canadians 12-18 years old
• Deadline April 30th, 2011
The Canada's Next Green Journalist contest is open to essays (1000 words or less), photos (with a title and caption of no more than 150 words) and documentary or interview/reporter style videos (3 minutes or less) that include local content and focus on climate change, coastlines, energy, water, agriculture, cities, waste, or biodiversity. There's a chance your entry could be published in print or online, and there's a prize to be won in each category - a digital SLR camera for photography, a pocket waterproof camcorder for videos and a netbook for writing. All three categories will also win $500 for their school. The website also offers tips through two downloadable PDF files, the Young Reporters for the Environment Writers Handbook and the Young Reporters for the Environment Photographers Handbook.

Previously Highlighted Youth Opportunities