Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest and Calendar
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The NOAA Marine Debris Art Contest is now closed. Check out the 2021 Marine Debris Calendar, now available for download!
Annual Marine Debris Program Art Contest Overview
The NOAA Marine Debris Program holds an annual art contest to reach K-8 students and help raise awareness about marine debris. Marine debris is a global issue and we believe that engaging our youth is an important part of addressing the problem. The resulting calendar, featuring the winning artwork, provides a daily reminder of how important it is for us to be responsible stewards of the ocean. Students are highly encouraged to check out resources on this website for information about marine debris.
Who is eligible to enter the contest?
All students in kindergarten through eighth grade from all U.S. states and territories in recognized public, private, and home schools are eligible to participate. Schools, including home schools, must be in compliance with federal and state civil rights and nondiscrimination statutes. Students may submit entries on their own or as part of a classroom, but must work individually.
Entry Requirements
Each entry must be composed of a piece of artwork and a description (on the entry form). All must meet the requirements below. A NOAA awards panel will collect all entries and select 13 winners to be featured in a marine debris calendar. Entries will be judged on the creativity, artistic presentation, and relevancy to the theme of:
- How marine debris impacts the ocean and the Great Lakes environment.
- What you are doing to help prevent marine debris.
Artwork & Description Requirements:
- One entry per student
- The entries must be on a single sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper, landscape.
- Use white, non-glossy paper; do not laminate.
- Any art medium may be used (e.g., colored pencils, crayons, paint), computer graphics will not be accepted. Artwork must be hand-drawn by the student.
- Artwork must be flat (e.g., no glued pieces or glitter) and able to be scanned.
- Avoid labeling debris items with any brand names in the artwork.
- A description of no more than 75 words must accompany the artwork (space provided on the entry form).
- Label each mail entry on the back in pencil (marker bleeds through the artwork) with student’s name, age, and grade, along with the teacher’s name, school name, address, and telephone number.
- If submitting your entry electronically, accepted file types are: JPEG, PNG, or TIFF. Make sure your files are high resolution (scanning is encouraged), not crooked, and is easy to see and/or read.
Entry Submission (Note new submission options)
This year we are accepting entries by mail and electronically. There should be one entry and release form filled out per student. Please ensure that the entry and release forms are filled out completely and legibly. All entries (entry and release form + artwork) must be submitted by mail (postmarked) or electronically no later than December 15, 2020.
If you have any questions, please email md.artcontest@noaa.gov.
Submitting Entries By Mail
Mail your entry (entry and release form + artwork) to:
Marine Debris Art Contest
NOAA Marine Debris Program
1305 East-West Highway,
SSMC4, 10th Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Submitting Entries Electronically
Email your entry (entry and release form + artwork) to: md.artcontest@noaa.gov
- Attach the entry and release form
- Attach the artwork as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF
- Make sure your artwork is high resolution (scanning is encouraged), not crooked, and is easy to see and/or read.
2021 Marine Debris Calendar
Congratulations to our annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest winners! We received hundreds of entries from kindergarten to eighth grade students using the power of artistic expression to share messages around the global issue of marine debris. The Marine Debris Program selected 13 pieces of work, and we are proud to present the 2021 Marine Debris Calendar, now available for download.
We are unable to offer hard copies of the calendar at this time.
