How Students Can Win Up to $5K by Warning Others About Texting and Driving
Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t glued to their smartphone. But the need to always be plugged in has caused a major problem on the roadways: texting and driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that around 660,000 people use their cell phones while driving every day. Project Yellow Light not only wants to lower the number of people impacted by distracted driving, but it wants students to help.
The Project Yellow Light scholarship contest wants students to create original ads to warn drivers about texting and driving, with winners earning scholarships between $1,000 and $5,000.
The contest is broken into three categories: billboard, video and radio. Each category will have two levels, one for high school applicants and one for college applicants.
Applicants are welcome to enter all three categories and can even apply in teams. If a team wins one of the prizes, the scholarship money will be distributed evenly.
Apply for the Project Yellow Light Hunter Garner Scholarship
To apply, you must be a high school junior or senior who intends to attend a U.S. accredited college or university OR be enrolled currently in an undergraduate program at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Billboard Contest
Amount: $2,000
Scholarships awarded: Two (one high school and one college winner)
To apply for this scholarship award, students must:
- Submit an online application
- Keep their message limited to seven words
- Leave out any content that isn’t original, i.e., stock photos or company logos
Deadline to apply: March 1
To find out more about billboard guidelines, go here. Winners of the this contest may also see their designs on billboards nationwide.
Video Contest
Amount: First place, $5,000; second place, $2,000; third place, $1,000
Scholarships awarded: Six (three high school and three college winners)
To apply for this scholarship award, students must:
- Submit an online application
- Create a video that is either exactly 25 or 55 seconds
- Leave out any content that isn’t original, i.e., stock photos or company logos
- Avoid using footage of someone actually texting and driving
Deadline to apply: April 1
To find out more about video guidelines, go here. The winning videos may also be also be turned into an Ad Council public service announcement that will be distributed nationally.
Radio Contest
Amount: $2,000
Scholarships awarded: Two (one high school and one college winner)
To apply for this scholarship award, qualified students must:
- Submit an online application
- Create a recording that is exactly 20 seconds
- Leave out any content that isn’t original
Deadline to apply: April 1
More information on the radio guidelines can be found here. Winning entries of the radio contest may also be aired as an Ad Council public service announcement nationwide.
Finalists for all three contests will be notified by June, and the scholarship winners will be announced later that month. If you have more questions about the application process and contest guidelines, you can check out the rules here.
Kaitlyn Blount is a junior staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
