Calling all creators! The Palm Beach County Behavioral Health Coalition is once again sponsoring the 11th annual School Bus Drug Prevention Media Contest.
The contest has expanded to include vaping prevention, along with underage drinking prevention, to target the top two drugs abused by youth today. Students can compete to win up to $3,300 in cash prizes and scholarships. Also new this year, every entry receives community service hours.
Students can enter the poster, video or music challenge, or all three. This contest is open to all Palm Beach County residents in grades K-12. Students can use their creativity to design a poster and/or a PSA video.
This educational campaign is totally unique because it encourages youth to educate youth in creative ways with the goal of helping young people make healthy choices and avoid substance use disorders.
“Since the project’s inception, the number of alcohol-free youth has increased by 15 percent,” said Alexa Lee, director of programs at Palm Beach County Behavioral Health Coalition.
Co-sponsored by the Hanley Center Foundation, the Judy Carreras Foundation, the Michael Joseph Brink Foundation, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the South Florida Fair, the School District of Palm Beach County, Rx Factor and PBCBHC.
More than 100 volunteers place the winning artwork on the Palm Beach County School District yellow buses for 60,000 students to view daily.
The rules and entry forms can be found at www.pbcbusposter.org, and entries are due by Sunday, Jan. 31.
New this year, students can earn community services hours. All poster entries will earn two hours of community service with a maximum of 10 hours. All video entries will earn 5 hours of community service with a maximum of 10 hours. Up to 20 hours of community service can be earned per student this year.
Prizes include the following:
Poster Winners — $1,000 scholarships from the Hanley Foundation, a $1,000 scholarship from the Judy Carreras Foundation and six $100 gift cards (two each for elementary, middle and high School.
Video PSA Winners — $500 scholarships offered by the Michael Joseph Brink Foundation.
Music Competition — A $100 cash prize will be offered by Rx Factor.
All entries received are eligible to win $50 gift cards. Two names will be chosen at random.
For more information about the contest, or to learn about volunteering for this project, contact Alexa Lee at (561) 374-7627 or alexalee@pbcbhc.org, or visit www.pbcbusposter.org.
