Youth Opportunities - Saturday April 16th, 2011

Saturday April 16, 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 includes many 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!

The youth opportunity I'm most excited about this week is the Get to Know contest; since I love nature and the arts and sharing opportunities for kids & teens, as far as I'm concerned this contest has it all!

Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest • Open to Canadians 19 and under • Deadline May 23rd, 2011 The annual Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest invites young Canadians to get to know their wild neighbours, through creative works focused on wild plants or animals. In celebration of the International Year of Forests, the theme for 2011 is "This is My Forest". Art, writing, photography and - for the first time - video submissions are accepted. Multiple winners will be selected in each age group and category, and there are a variety of prizes to match. And yes, you can enter more than one category! Explore the extensive website for full details plus past winners, tips, inspiration and more!

AMAPCEO Secondary School Student Essay Contest
• Open to Ontario secondary school students who have been enrolled on a full-time basis since at least September 2010 and who intend to pursue a post-secondary degree or diploma
• Deadline May 17th, 2011
The Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO) invites students to submit essays of between 1,250 and 1,500 words on one of two topics:
- "Select one Canadian public service and examine why it was introduced, how it has changed and how it can be improved", or
- Answer the question "Why would you like to pursue a career in the provincial, municipal or federal public service?"
The AMAPCEO Secondary School Student Essay Contest offers a top prize of $750 with a second prize of $500 and a third prize of $300. More specific essay guidelines and other rules are available on the website.

Mixed Company's Rising Star Award
• Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 25 and under*
• Deadline Friday April 29th, 2011
Mixed Company Theatre's Rising Star Award will be presented to a young person who has "demonstrated a commitment to educating, engaging, and empowering his/her peers and community to create positive solutions to challenging issues in community, schools, or workplace". Members of the public are invited to nominate a youth and each application must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation. The award is non-monetary; it acknowledges and honours the work dedicated young people are already doing.
*Note that although the award is open to youth across Canada, winners must be able to attend Mixed Company’s 2nd Annual STARS Awards Gala in Toronto on Friday, May 13, 2011.

Business Wire's 50th Anniversary College Video Contest
• Open to full-time college/university students (2 or 4 year programs) in the US and Canada (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction
• Deadline midnight (PST) on July 15th, 2011
Business Wire's 50th Anniversary College Video Contest is offering a two-night trip to New York City to meet Warren Buffett for the best 3-minute or less video that answers the question "What is the future of public relations and communications?" Five finalists will be featured on Business Wire's Facebook page for comments and "liking". Take note, the New York trip has specific dates: September 29th to October 1st, 2011.

Previously Highlighted Youth Opportunities (after the jump!)

• National Shakespeare Youth Festival (High school: Registration open)

APRIL DEADLINES

• Digital Nation 2017 Video Contest (All Canadians : 04/24/11)
• The T24 Project (GTA residents, ages 18-28 : 04/27/11)
• The Great EcoKids Challenge (Grades K-8: 04/29/11)
• Playwright's Guild of Canada - National Post-Secondary Play Writing Competition (Post-Secondary students: 04/29/11)
• RBC Tarragon Emerging Playwrights’ Competition (All ages: 04/29/11)
• 2011 Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival (Ages 18-28: 04/29/11)
• Refugees and Human Rights Child and Youth Poetry Contest (GTA students grades 4-12: 04/29/11)
• Because I Am a Girl: smartgirl Contest (Ages 16+: 04/30/11)
• The Spirit of Will Munro Award (Ages 26 and under: 04/30/11)
• Canada's Next Green Journalist (Ages 12-18: 04/30/11)
• Act NOW! International Performance Writing Festival (Ages 14-16: 04/30/11)
• The Hunger Mountain Prize for Young Writers (High school students: 04/30/11)

MAY DEADLINES

• Bridgestone Safety Scholars Video Contest(Full-time students aged 16-21 with a driver's license, US & Canada excluding Quebec: 05/13/11)
• The James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Award (Ages 18 and under: 05/31/11)
• "Science Can Fix That" Video Contest (Ages 6-18 or 19 and full-time high school student: 05/03/11)

JUNE DEADLINE

• The Fraser Institute Essay Contest (High school & post-secondary students: 06/01/11)
• Historica-Dominion Institute's Great Questions of Canada Essay Competition (Students ages 17-25: 06/30/11)
• BMO Team of the Week Contest (Adult rep of Cdn youth soccer teams, ages 7-12: 06/30/11)
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SEPTEMBER DEADLINE

• The 90-Second Newberry Film Festival (09/15/11)

ONGOING

• Toronto Chapter of The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences (15th of each month) or find other chapters of the Awesome Foundation