Sponsoring a student in the Science Without Borders® Challenge

Every participant in the Science Without Borders® Challenge is required to have a teacher sponsor their application. Students must find a teacher to vouch for their application, either a teacher at their school or from an after-school or tutoring program, and provide the teacher’s name, current phone number, and email address on their submission form.

A teacher can give you advice, help you make sure your artwork aligns with the contest theme, and support you in your efforts to create a winning piece of artwork. However, their level of involvement can depend on the situation. There is no cost to sponsoring a student. For more information on what is involved in being a teacher sponsor, see below:  

 

Who Can Be a Teacher Sponsor?

We welcome educators from diverse backgrounds, whether you’re a classroom teacher or an after-school instructor! You don’t have to be a science or art expert, either. We welcome all enthusiastic educators willing to take on the following 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.

 

Your Responsibilities:

Stay Connected: Stay informed about contest updates and communicate relevant information to your students and possibly their parents/guardians. We will make several email announcements throughout the contest, including:

• Notification when your student submits their entry form.
• Updates on judging timelines after the contest ends.
• Exciting announcements if your student becomes a semi-finalist, people’s choice, finalist, and/or winner.
• Certificates distributed to all eligible participants.
• Emails if we need to contact your student and/or their parent/guardian.

COPPA Compliance: Children under the age of 13, must have their parent/guardian complete the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) before submitting a contest entry form. Teacher sponsors can assist in communicating to parents/guardians that they need to submit this form to grant permission for their 11 or 12-year-old children to participate in the contest.

Age and Grade Verification: Confirm students’ ages and grades at registered schools to ensure they meet eligibility criteria.

Assist Semi-Finalists: Assist in promptly shipping artwork if students advance to the semi-finalists round. Parents/guardians may also be involved in this process.

Promote Winners: If a student becomes a winner, work with the school to promote the student’s achievement in the contest with the school and local media.

Language Liaison: If English is your second language, if possible, help parents/guardians and students in understanding our communications.

 

Resources for Your Classroom:

If you’re incorporating the contest theme into your curriculum, we invite you to view our list of educational resources at the bottom of our “Learn About the Theme” webpage.

 

Need Help or Have Questions?

Reach out to Amy Heemsoth at [email protected] for any contest or sponsor-related queries.