The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, an ocean conservation nonprofit, runs the Science Without Borders Challenge, a free international art contest for school students aged 11 to 19. The 2027 theme is "Navigate with Care": create a hand-made 2D artwork showing how the choices people make on the water can protect marine life, fragile ecosystems and safety at sea. Winners in each of two age groups receive scholarships of up to $500.

What you get:

• Scholarships for the top three in each age group: $500 for 1st place, $350 for 2nd and $200 for 3rd
• A $50 People's Choice scholarship for the most-liked finalist in each age group, decided by a public vote on Facebook
• A digital certificate for every eligible participant
• Semi-finalists' original artwork is shown in the foundation's art exhibits, conservation conferences, workshops and events

What you'll do:

• Learn about the 2027 theme, Navigate with Care, using the foundation's theme page and lesson resources
• Create one original 2D artwork by hand, such as a painting or drawing in paint, pencil, marker, crayon, ink, felt or oil pastel
• Take two progress photos of yourself with the artwork at different stages, plus one high-quality image of the finished piece
• Write an artist's statement explaining how your artwork relates to the theme, and submit everything through the online entry form
• If chosen as a semi-finalist, mail the original artwork to the foundation, which keeps it

Key dates:

• Entries close March 1, 2027 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time; no extensions
• Semi-finalists, then finalists, are announced per age group over the following weeks, each round typically taking several weeks
• People's Choice voting opens after finalist galleries are posted; 1st to 3rd place winners are announced a week or two after the People's Choice winner

More information:

• Contest rules: https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/science-without-borders-challenge/contest-rules-information/
• Judging process, rubric and timeline: https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/science-without-borders-challenge/the-judging-process/
• Theme resources: https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/science-without-borders-challenge/learn-about-the-theme/
• Teacher responsibilities: https://www.livingoceansfoundation.org/science-without-borders-challenge/teacher-responsibilities/

• Aged 11 to 19 and enrolled in primary or secondary school, or the home school equivalent, anywhere in the world
• Students aged 10 may enter if they turn 11 by March 1, 2027
• College and university students are not eligible
• One entry per student, made by one individual artist; group submissions are not allowed
• Original 2D artwork made by hand; digital art, photographs, collage from magazines or newspapers, and AI-generated or AI-enhanced work are not accepted
• Artwork must not have been entered in another art competition or a previous Science Without Borders Challenge
• A teacher sponsor is required (any teacher, from school or an after-school programme); a parent can only sponsor if they are the student's homeschool teacher
• Parent or guardian and teacher contact details are required even for students 18 or older; parental consent is needed before the form can be submitted, and a COPPA form is required for ages 11 to 12
• Semi-finalists must mail in the original artwork to stay eligible; it is not returned