Thank you for your interest in the Seattle Aquarium's Coral Conservation Contest for Schools. Registration is now closed; see our winners below!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to our three winning classes! They spread awareness, displayed knowledge, reached out into their communities and focused on positive action toward coral conservation. Through the School Coral Conservation Contest this year, over 300 students spread awareness to over 8,000 people in their local communities.
Winners
Kindergarten–First grade
School: Green Lake School-Age Care Program
Teacher: Tristan Lapetz
Students: 30 students in kindergarten and first grade
Project: The class read books and watched videos on coral reefs to learn about the beauty and importance of the ocean and the dangers of ocean acidification. The students were then asked to imagine a healthy ocean and create their own representation in an egg carton. Many of the students discussed the project with friends and family members. The bright colors of the coral reflect the students’ hope that they can contribute to a world with a healthy ocean and colorful coral. The art was displayed at the entrance of their building to raise awareness and promote action to save the oceans.
Second–Third grades
School: Concord International Elementary School
Teacher: Carla Carvallo and Alida Kromberg
Students: 31 third grade students
Project: The class learned about coral reefs and cowrote a set of five bilingual Spanish/English books about coral reefs. In teams of six, the students illustrated the book that represented their family’s home countries. The countries featured were Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and the United States. The content of the books included specific information for each country such as where coral can be found and what conservation is currently happening there. The books de-center white conservation efforts and highlight Indigenous methods.
The class partnered with the South Park branch of the Seattle Public Library to create an exhibit of the books for the community to read and become informed. The students created multilingual posters (Spanish, Vietnamese, English) to place around their community in high-traffic areas such as bus stops and intersections to publicize their display at the library. The posters included facts about coral reefs. The class also made morning announcements to the rest of their school to inform other students about the display and the importance of coral reef preservation.
Being located along the bank of the Duwamish River, the South Park community has a history of fighting for water conservation. This project not only spoke to the local South Park community but also made the connection to the experiences in the home countries of the students. People of color are disproportionately affected by the negative consequences of climate change, which made the project more pertinent for this community.
Fourth–Fifth grades
School: Talbot Hill Elementary School
Teacher: Caszandra Burke
Students: 28 fourth grade students
Project: The class spread the word about corals by making a website. The website features sections describing coral, what’s affecting them and how we can help them. The students shared the website with their families through their teacher newsletter, with others at their school through the principal’s newsletter, and with the rest of their community through family members’ social media. The students did a lot of research and cited their sources. They even included a section featuring different organizations that are doing coral conservation work.
Background on the contest
Who can enter the contest?
- Students in grades kindergarten to fifth grade can enter the contest as a class.
- Submissions will be judged in three grade categories:
- K–1
- 2–3
- 4–5
- A class can be up to 40 students. There is no minimum number of students required for entry. Teachers with more than 40 students or multiple classes should create multiple entries.
- Homeschool classes are eligible for entry.
- Each class will be judged in the category of the grade of the oldest students participating.
- Classes must be based in Washington state.
What are the contest criteria?
- Under the supervision of their teachers, students will create a submission related to the importance of conserving and protecting coral reefs.
- The class will submit as one entry. Each entry can have multiple components.
- A submission must meet the following criteria:
- It spreads awareness of the issues affecting coral reefs.
- It displays knowledge of the importance of coral reefs and the amazing diversity of wildlife found within them.
- It reaches as many people as possible. We recommend that submissions look beyond the classroom and involve the local community as much as possible.
- It focuses on positive action to help coral reefs. We recommend projects that focus on hope for the future and include specific steps participants can take to help the ocean. The work of the Seattle Aquarium can be used as a guide.
- Submissions can inspire participants through words, pictures, sounds and more. Creativity is encouraged! The following are examples of projects:
- Poster campaign
- Public service announcement video
- Recorded song
- Children’s book
- Social media campaign
- And more! Feel free to branch out.
- The Seattle Aquarium does not recommend campaigns that focus on raising money for the Aquarium as part of the contest submission. This project should focus on spreading awareness of conservation efforts and coral reefs. Questions? Contact Aquarium staff.
What do participating students receive?
- Each registered class will be offered a scholarship-supported, free field trip to the Seattle Aquarium, available between November 2023 and February 2024. Some transportation scholarships will also be available to help offset the costs of busing classes to the Aquarium. This trip is not required for contest submission but should help inspire and delight students.
- Registered teachers will receive a digital packet of information on coral reefs and other marine life, many of which will be found in the Ocean Pavilion.
- Teachers will receive access to photos, videos, and more to share with their students and for use in their projects.
- Teachers will be able to book free virtual Q&A classes with Aquarium experts to help them on their projects. These are not required but should be seen as a resource to help students with their contest entries.
What do the winners receive?
Winning classes will receive the following:
- A special VIP experience at the Seattle Aquarium. (Classes unable to visit the Aquarium in person will receive a special virtual experience.)
- A certificate for each student
- A celebratory banner to hang at school
- Recognition on the Seattle Aquarium website
Other participants
The Seattle Aquarium would like to thank all those who participated. We received submissions from seventeen classes. They were all wonderful and showcased students’ knowledge! There were so many different types of submissions from infomercial-style videos and a card game to dioramas and presentations. Here are some highlights from participants:
Timeline
- November—February:
- Access to recorded virtual coral class
- Live class Q&A with a Seattle Aquarium coral expert
- Self-guided visit to the Aquarium
- Downloadable resources to support student projects
- Registration for the contest closed on February 2, 2024.
- Submissions were due by March 29, 2024.
- Winners were selected by April 26, 2024.
- Prizes were awarded by May 31, 2024.
Registration
Registration is currently closed.
If you have questions, please email us at registration@seattleaquarium.org.
