Calendar

Apr
6
Fri
Deadline: Beautify the Bucket Registration
Apr 6 all-day

The Beautify the Bucket Competition allows participants to take an active role in beautifying Galveston beaches and improving stewardship behaviors. Participants in the competition paint a blue trash barrel destined for Galveston beaches based on a theme: ocean organisms, marine debris, coastal and marine ecosystems, or Galveston recreational activities. After the competition the barrels will be added to Galveston’s beaches where they will be enjoyed by visitors and encourage proper disposal of trash to reduce aquatic trash. Individuals and groups of all ages can register for a barrel to beautify. Registration for the Spring 2018 Beautify the Bucket is Monday, March 5 – Friday, April 6, 2018. The competition date is April 21, 2018. For more information, visit artistboat.org.

Aug
25
Sat
AIA Sandcastle Competition @ East Beach Galveston
Aug 25 @ 6:30 am – 5:00 pm

The AIA SandCastle Competition is a fund-raising event for AIA Houston and ArCH Foundation as well as one of the top five revenue generating events for the City of Galveston. This year over 60 teams have their eyes and shovels set on winning the prestigious Gold Bucket Award. Firms begin months in advance generating ideas, developing designs, and assigning duties. On the day of the event the teams, stretched along the beach front, meticulously sculpt their piles of sand and work non-stop for five hours.

The judging of the sculptures is rated on originality of concept, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique, and utilization of the site. In addition to the Golden Bucket, awards are given in several categories including Traditional Castle, Architectural, Kidtastic!, Houston-centric, Superheroes, Pop Culture, and World History as well as Public Favorite, Tallest Standing Structure, Greatest Feat of Structural Ingenuity, team t-shirt design, team signage, and costume. At the end of the day, everyone goes home with memories of a great day at the beach filled with fun, sand and sun.

The event is free to watch and underwritten by Thomas Printworks. Parking is $15.

Event Day

6:30am Beach opens for teams and sponsors
9:00am Public is encouraged to begin to arrive to watch the competition.
10:00am – 3:00pm Teams compete and build.
1:00pm – 3:30pm Public favorite voting
3:00 – 4:30pm Judging
4:30pm Awards Ceremony

Sep
1
Sat
Galveston Bay Council Photo Contest Submission Deadline
Sep 1 all-day

The Galveston Bay Council GBEP and HARC is looking for high quality photos and video that can be featured in the State of the Bay, 4th Edition. Photo credits will be given to the photographer and/or contributing organization and copyrights will be respected and noted. Attached are a list of potential topics for which photos will be needed. Please do not consider this list to be exhaustive. All great photos are appreciated and will be considered for use.

Please email questions and photo submissions to Dr. Erin Kinney at ekinney@HARCresearch.org

2018-State-of-the-bay-Photo-Request

Sep
7
Fri
Scarecrow Contest Entry Deadline
Sep 7 @ 5:00 pm

As part of Mercer Botanic Gardens’ Pollinator Festival and Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., individuals and groups are invited to create a pollinator-related scarecrow for display in the gardens from Saturday, October 6 to Wednesday, October 31.

Entry forms are available at hcp4.net. Forms also available at Mercer Botanic Gardens on the Visitor’s Center table. All entrants will be contacted by Mercer upon receipt of the form.

For more information, visit hcp4.net.

Oct
15
Mon
Recycle Bowl @ Varies
Oct 15 – Nov 15 all-day

Keep America BeautifulKeep America Beautiful presents Recycle Bowl, a national K-12 competition between schools to invigorate student participation in recycling efforts. The competition runs from October 15 to November 15, 2018. Through Recycle-Bowl, Keep America Beautiful hopes to excite students and improve recycling in elementary, middle and high schools across America.

Recycle-Bowl

The Recycle-Bowl competition has three division categories (School, Community, and District Divisions) allowing schools to compete where they fit best. The Recycle-Bowl also features a non-competitive, “Open Division” that is less formal and accommodates schools that register late. 

For more information, visit kab.org.

Water-Wise Village Challenge
Oct 15 2018 – Apr 15 2019 all-day

Pledge to turn off your sprinkler system for the winter.

Turfgrass, particularly St. Augustine, naturally goes dormant during winter months and uses all available energy to grow and strengthen the root system. Allowing grass to brown during the cool months results in healthier lawns with less disease in the spring.

Once you pledge, your village earns a point in the contest! Villages with the most points will receive cash awards for their scholarship funds from program sponsors.

Pledge between August 15 and December 31 and earn Two Points.

Learn how to submit your pledge at thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Dec
8
Sat
ArCH’s 10th Annual Gingerbread Build Off @ Hermann Square
Dec 8 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Team registration for the 2018 event is open to local architecture firms, design professionals, students, and enthusiasts seeking the coveted Grand Prix de Show for their edible structure. Additional awards will be given in categories including 1st and 2nd Runner Up, Best Architectural Icon, Tallest Standing Structure, and many more. Competing teams will create their masterpieces using 100% edible materials. Gingerbread buildings will be judged by an independent panel of food, design, art, and architecture professionals.

More than 4,000 spectators are expected to attend and cheer on the teams, play in the kids’ construction zone, and see Santa! All of that entertainment is free and open to the public.

Volunteering - ArCH needs help with the Kids Construction Zone, as well as setup/teardown of the event. Educational and civic groups welcome. Email debby@aiahouston.org for more details.

Dec
14
Fri
Deadline: TCEQ’s Take Care of Texas Video Contest for Students
Dec 14 all-day

Take Care of Texas logoThe Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) invites students in 6th through 12th grades to enter the annual Take Care of Texas Video Contest. The contest deadline is Friday, December 14, 2018, and the public will have the opportunity to pick their favorite videos January 10 through 24, 2019. The Take Care of Texas Video Contest is a fun way for young people to learn about protecting the environment and come up with creative ways to share this knowledge with others. Student videos should be 30 seconds long and portray positive ways Texans can help keep air and water clean, conserve water and energy, or reduce waste.

The middle and high school students who win first place will be invited to travel to Austin, along with their teacher, parent, or guardian, to be recognized by the TCEQ Commissioners and representatives from Waste Management of Texas, Inc. at the 2019 Environmental Trade Fair and Conference.

For more information, visit takecareoftexas.org.

Jan
3
Thu
K-12 Student Art Contest in the Maritime Community
Jan 3 @ 8:00 am – Mar 31 @ 3:09 pm

Thank you for your interest in the “All aboard! There’s a place for you in the maritime community!” Art Contest sponsored by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of the American States (CIP-OAS).  We welcome submissions from students enrolled in grades K-12 living in the Americas (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean).  Students living outside the Americas are welcome to apply, provided they have one or more parents on active duty with the U. S. Coast Guard.  Submissions will be accepted from January 2, 2019 – March 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. (En Español:  www.namepa.net/concurso-de-arte)

Students are asked to submit an original poster that creatively depicts ways to embrace diversity and inclusion in the maritime community and highlight the broad range of opportunities the industry has to offer. The theme reflects the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2019 World Maritime Day Theme. Students should submit an original artwork that based on the contest theme description below:

Seaborn transportation is one of the oldest industries—and the most exciting!  More than 90% of the world’s goods and energy travel by ship!  The diversity of opportunities in the maritime industry is as diverse as the ocean itself. Seafaring is an exciting career that allows you to travel the world and absorb different cultures. You can also become a successful member of the marine industry without ever getting your feet wet! An opportunity to be a maritime lawyer, accountant, engineer, medical professional, or scientist, could be in your future!

The marine industry is evolving. Now, more than ever, there are technical training and education programs available to people of all backgrounds to ensure a rewarding career in the maritime sector. Today, many people are finding more opportunities in leadership, administrative, and decision-making roles in addition to seafaring jobs.

Successful members of the marine industry can come from any educational, geographic, or cultural background. Can you think of a way to embrace diversity in the marine industry, either on a ship or in a shore-side role? Or, if you’ve ever thought about pursuing a career in the marine industry, can you artistically show us how? Students are asked to submit an original poster depicting creative and imaginative ideas about how to make shipping more inclusive, or how they can chart a future in the maritime industry.

Twelve finalists will receive a certificate and a calendar with the artwork from each finalist.  Two grand-prize winning artists will also receive a $100 cash prize and a U.S. Coast Guard prize package. There will be six finalists and one grand prize winner from each of the K-5 and 6-12 categories.

THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS MARCH 31, 2019, WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY MAY 15, 2019. Full rules are posted below.

To enter, click the button below or go to:  https://maritimeartcontest.submittable.com/submit.

Feb
3
Sun
Super Bird 53 @ Archbishop Fiorenza Park Phase 2
Feb 3 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

The third annual super birding competition on the day before the Super Bowl. There will be two teams, the Superb Owls vs. the Gridiron Goatsuckers. The contest will run for two hours up until one team identifies 53 bird species. Everyone is welcome to participate.