Calendar
Keep 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.
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.Â
For more information, visit kab.org.
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.
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 -Â 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.
The 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 2019Â Environmental Trade Fair and Conference.
For more information, visit takecareoftexas.org.
Thank you for your interest in the “All aboard! There’s a place for you in the maritime community!â€Â 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.
THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE ISÂ 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:Â Â https://maritimeartcontest.submittable.com/submit.
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.
This annual contest inspires students to be creative while learning about important ocean conservation issues. The Science Without Borders® Challenge is open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old.
The theme for the 2019 Science Without Borders® Challenge is “Connected Ocean: No Barriers, No Boundaries, and No Borders.†There are no barriers, boundaries, or borders in the ocean, and although we often list the oceans separately, they are all interconnected to each other, forming one global ocean. For this year’s contest, use your artistic talents to create a piece of artwork that illustrates how the ocean is connected.
The deadline for entry into the year’s Science without Borders® Challenge is Monday, April 22, 2019 at 11:59 pm.
Join Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Master Naturalists, the Audubon Society, and many others in a fun challenge to see which city can document the most species during April 26 – 29. It is easy to participate by joining an event or making observations on your own using the iNaturalist app. With the iNaturalist app, you just take a picture of a plant or animal, and the community will help identify which species it is. Any observation in the greater metropolitan area of Houston will count during the four day challenge.
From May 1 through September 30, 2019, BikeHouston, whose mission is the implementation of the City of Houston Bike Plan, will be sponsoring the city’s participation in the National Bike Challenge, a nationwide event that unites thousands of new and existing bicyclists across the country in friendly competition designed to celebrate and encourage biking. For more information on how to participate, visit lovetoride.net.
From May 1 through September 30, 2019, BikeHouston, whose mission is the implementation of the City of Houston Bike Plan, will be sponsoring the city’s participation in the National Bike Challenge, a nationwide event that unites thousands of new and existing bicyclists across the country in friendly competition designed to celebrate and encourage biking. For more information on how to participate, visit lovetoride.net.