Science without Borders – International Student Art Contest 2025

Science without Borders – International Student Art Contest 2025

‘The Science Without Borders’ art competition is an international contest that engages students and teachers in ocean conservation through art. This annual competition inspires students to be creative while promoting public awareness of the need to preserve, protect, and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources, contributing to the overarching goals of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. The Challenge is open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old, with scholarships of up to $500 awarded to the winning entries.

Theme

The theme for the 2025 Science without Borders® Challenge is “Marine Keystone Species.” Keystone species play a crucial role in keeping ocean ecosystems healthy and balanced. To apply for this year’s contest, students should submit artwork featuring a keystone species that lives in the ocean, highlighting this creature’s vital role in its marine ecosystem.

Prizes

Winners of the Science Without Borders® Challenge will be awarded with the following scholarships:

• 1st Place: $500
• 2nd Place: $350
• 3rd Place: $200

We also offer a “People’s Choice” award, in which the winners in each age group receive a $50 scholarship.

Eligibility

This international art competition is open to all students 11-19 years old. Students must be enrolled in primary or secondary school, or the home school equivalent. College and university students are not eligible for this contest.

Work will be judged in two categories based on age, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes awarded for each:

• Students 11-14 years old
• Students 15-19 years old

Deadline

The application period for the 2025 Science Without Borders® Challenge is now open!

Entries must be received by Monday, March 3, 2025, to be eligible to win.

How to Apply

To apply to the 2025 Science Without Borders Challenge, fill out the online entry form, upload a picture of your artwork, and make sure everything is submitted before the deadline! If you are under the age of 13, your parents will be asked to provide consent, so make sure not to wait until the last minute. Before applying, check out our Tips for Success for suggestions on how to make the most of your application, such as how to write a compelling artist’s statement that describes how your artwork relates to this year’s theme.

Contest Rules

Before beginning your artwork, make sure to review the Contest Rules for more information on the types of art we are looking for. For example, the Science Without Borders® Challenge only accepts original 2-dimensional pieces of artwork students have created by hand, such as a painting or a drawing.

See the Guidelines for Submitting Artwork for tips on how to upload your artwork. Although the application process is online, semi-finalists will be required to mail in the original artwork in order to be eligible to win.

Judging

A panel of artists, educators, and scientists judge the Science Without Borders® Challenge. Artwork will be evaluated on the quality of the artwork, originality, and adherence to the theme. The judges will use a Grading Rubric to evaluate the artwork.

When creating your artwork, you should think about these questions:

• Does your artwork reflect that you understand the theme of the contest?
• Does your artist’s statement also show that you understand the contest theme?
• Does your piece show that you have a good understanding of art and that you use these art elements, such as line, shape, form, value, composition, and color, to effectively portray the theme?
• Is your artwork original, inventive, and shows off your individual style?
• Is your artwork neat? Are there tears, smudges, and/or smear marks?
• Does your artwork invoke emotion for your viewers? Is it striking and memorable?

For tips on creating winning artwork, see Tips for Success.

1. There is no fee to enter the contest.

2. All entries must be received by March 3, 2025, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET). All submissions must be received by this date or they will be disqualified. No extensions will be granted.
3. Submissions must be made online. Email submissions are not permitted.
4. All students ages 11-19 who are enrolled in primary or secondary school, or the home school equivalent anywhere in the world may enter the Science Without Borders® Challenge. Students age 10 may participate as long as they turn 11 by March 4, 2024. College and university students are not eligible for this contest. Proof of age, identity, and/or eligibility may be required.
5. All artwork must be an original work by the contestant and shall not infringe on any copyrights or any other rights of any third parties. Do not copy an idea from a past participants’ work. Do not draw a character from a cartoon or movie. See the tips for success and grading rubric for more information on what the judges are (and are not) looking for.
6. Do not submit artwork to the Science Without Borders® Challenge that you have entered into another art competition or a previous Science Without Borders® Challenge
7. The artwork must be 2D such as a painting or drawing. Acceptable media includes paint, pencil, marker, crayon, ink, felt, and oil pastel. Using magazines, newspapers, or other non-original work is also not permitted. Digitally created artwork, including photographs, are not accepted.
8. There are no minimum or maximum size requirements for the artwork.
9. All submissions must be made by an individual artist. Group submissions are not permitted.
10. Participants may submit only 1 art piece.
11. All eligible contest participants will receive a digital certificate. Make sure your description clearly explains how your artwork aligns with the theme. If the judges cannot see from your artwork and description that it follows the theme, your entry will be disqualified, and you will not receive a certificate.
12. Applicants must fill out all required information on the online Entry Form, including a photograph or scan of the original artwork. See Guidelines for Submitting Artwork.
13. All participants are required to have a teacher sponsor their artwork. This can be any teacher, from school or an after-school program. Students must provide the teacher’s name, current phone number, and email address on their submission form. Please notify your teacher in advance and get their approval, as we will be contacting them. Teacher sponsors are needed to confirm students’ ages and grades at registered schools to ensure they meet eligibility criteria. If teachers have questions, direct them to our page on teacher responsibilities. It’s important to note that a parent or guardian cannot act as a teacher sponsor unless they are the homeschool teacher of their child.
14. All participants must provide parent/guardian and teacher contact information even if they are 18 years or older. The contact information of the parent/guardian and teacher should not be the same. Participants who do not provide accurate information may be disqualified.
15. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Forms are required for all participants who are 11-12 years old. The form must be completed online.
16. Semi-finalists will be required to mail the original artwork in order to be eligible to win the Science Without Borders® Challenge. Original artwork will not be returned.
17. Do not include nudity or explicit content in artwork you submit to the Science Without Borders® Challenge.
18. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation reserves the right to disqualify artwork deemed offensive, plagiarized, or unrelated to the theme.
19. Entries that do not comply with all of the contest rules will be disqualified.
20. All winners and their parent/guardian and teacher will be contacted before the Foundation announces the winning entries.
21. All submissions may be used to promote the Science Without Borders® Challenge, education, ocean conservation, and the work of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation in all media worldwide in perpetuity. Artwork, art descriptions, and student information (i.e. name, country, age) may be used in publications and distributed to the media.
22. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation promises to run this contest fairly, ethically, and with integrity.

Rights

The applicant agrees that the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will retain the submitted artwork and the art description, which may use it to promote the Science Without Borders® Challenge, ocean conservation, and the work of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation in all media worldwide in perpetuity.

Artwork, art descriptions, and select student information (such as name, country, and age) may be used in publications and distributed to the media.

FOR CONTEST DETAILS AND TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE VISIT THE CONTEST ORGANIZER WEB PAGE – PLEASE CLICK HERE –