OFFICIAL RULES

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Contest Sponsors
The Contest is sponsored by the Aspen Institute (“Institute”), on behalf of its Science & Society Program(the “Sponsor”). To learn more about the Sponsors, see: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/science-society/  . For clarity’s sake, this Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered, or associated with TikTok or Instagram.

Contest Purpose & Goals
The Sponsor’s “Our Future Is Science” initiative is a multi-pillar effort to position socially minded youth as leaders and innovators who will advance science in the 21st Century. As part of that initiative, the Sponsor is launching a contest for U.S.-based youth ages 14-24 to record and share, according to instructions, a short video that thoughtfully speaks to how science has positively impacted their community, ultimately driving home the connection between science and social activism. Submissions will be judged by the “Our Future Is Science” team and external advisors using criteria such as content quality, creativity, logic, originality, and overall quality, and up to 3 winners will be chosen and awarded. Select video submissions may also be shared through the Sponsors’ digital and social media platforms to further convey the importance of youth involvement in science.


Platforms
Participants will be asked to submit their entry through the OFIS website (https://ourfutureisscience.org/campaign2). Sponsors further may announce, share, or promote the Contest and participant submissions through their various digital and social media platforms, including, but not limited to, the Institute’s website (http://www.aspeninstitute.org), the “Our Future Is Science” website (http://www.ourfutureisscience.org), and/or Sponsors’ respective social media accounts, such as TikTok and Instagram. The Contest winners will also be announced through such platforms. As a reminder, while TikTok and Instagram are not sponsors of or affiliated with this Contest, participants and their submissions still are bound by the platforms’ terms of service or use: TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/legal/terms-of-service; Instagram (Facebook product): https://www.facebook.com/581066165581870.


ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS
This Contest officially starts on June 30th at 12:01 a.m. ET, and ends on August 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET (“Contest Period”). Submissions must be made during the Contest Period according to the following instructions:

  • Record one 60-second video on your mobile phone, computer, or tablet (Mobile phones are preferred). The video should be taken vertically with clear lighting.

  • Use the framework detailed below, but be creative! Feel free to add a dance, images, music, text overlays, or captions.
    “Hi! My name is [your first name], and I live in [your current city, state]. An existing problem in my community is [describe the social issue you have observed/care about]. We can solve [X problem] through science by [describe science-based or related solution]. How can science make a difference in your community?”

  • To formally submit your video for cash and scholarship prizes, fill out the entry form on www.ourfutureisscience.org/campaign2.

  • Any submission without a completed online entry form will not be judged. Parent or legal guardian consent is required in order to participate in the Contest. *** The entry form will also reference and incorporate these Official Rules.

  • Once an entry is submitted via the entry form, it is considered a final submission and may not be modified, edited, or replaced.

  • Participants are limited to one (1) submission.

  • Submissions must be original and recorded by the participant.

  • Participation is considered acceptance of these Official Rules in full.

Video Submission Requirements

Submissions must respond to the Contest prompt and formatting requirements (available through www.ourfutureisscience.org/campaign2). Submissions may not contain obscenity, nudity or sexual content, profanity, violent acts or incitement, commercial or promotional content (including any company logos or trademarks), or anything that would be considered abusive or disrespectful to the Contest Sponsors or any individuals, groups, or entities. Submissions must be appropriate for a public audience and comply with all applicable laws and the terms of use or service of TikTok and Instagram.

Submissions must be entirely original content created by the participant and may not show or contain anyone else’s copyrighted or protected content, including any music, company logos, or trademarks. Submissions also may not infringe on any individual’s privacy and publicity rights. The Sponsor may disqualify in their sole and absolute discretion any submission that fails to meet these requirements and the Official Rules, even if there is a question or difference of opinion about meeting them.

By submitting a video, adult participants or the minor participant’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) warrant that they have obtained consent from any and all individuals whose image or likeness appears in the video, and that they have obtained all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions to use all content in the submission. Adult participants or the minor participant’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) also warrant that they will provide appropriate documentation of any and all such rights, licenses, and permissions, upon the Sponsors’ request. Failure to do so may result in being disqualified from the Contest.

Participant Eligibility

  • Participants must be between 14 to 24 years old on the date they post a video submission to the Contest.

  • Consent from a parent or legal guardian is strictly required for minor children under 18 years to participate. Parent(s)or legal guardian(s) provide consent with the online entry form (www.ourfutureisscience.org/campaign2) to accompany the video submission.

  • Participants must reside in the U.S. and either be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

  • Only individual participants will be accepted and must provide complete and accurate information in the accompanying online entry form.

  • The Contest is not open to employees or affiliates of the Sponsor or companies or entities involved in the administration of this Contest; funders of the Aspen Institute, including its Science & Society program and the “Our Future Is Science” initiative; any company that owns, manufactures, and/or distributes any part or component of the award(s) (defined below) awarded to the chosen winner(s); members of their immediate families or households; or U.S. government employees. Once the “Our Future Is Science” team accepts a video submission and accompanying online entry form (ourfutureisscience.org/campaign2), the Sponsor may publicly share the submission through their digital and social media channels as described above

Submission Screening & Winner Selection
Initial Screening.  All submissions and accompanying online entry forms will undergo an initial screening by the Sponsors to ensure compliance with these Official Rules. The Sponsors reserve the sole right and discretion to assess whether a participant and potential winning submission has fully followed these Official Rules before recognizing winners or giving any awards.

Judging Round. Submissions that successfully pass screening will then be compiled and presented to the “Our Future Is Science” team and external advisors serving as the Contest jury, which selects winners. The judges will review such submissions based on their response to the provided prompt (ourfutureisscience.org/campaign2) and will award points for content quality, creativity, logic, originality, and overall quality.

Winners & Awards
Required Forms & Releases. Winners’ parent(s) or legal guardians will be notified through the contact information provided in the submission’s accompanying online entry form. (Inability to contact potential winners may result in disqualification and instead selecting an alternate.) Winners will be required to have their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) sign and return to the Sponsors a Contest eligibility statement, liability waiver, and publicity release, which the Sponsor will provide when notifying the Winners. Winners and their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) may choose to authorize Sponsor’s use of the winners’ name, or instead request use of an anonymized ID with other identifying information kept private.

Awards

The judges will select up to 3 winners based on the review criteria above. The winners’ submissions will be displayed on the “Our Future Is Science” website (http://www.ourfutureisscience.org) and shared on its social media platforms. The winners’ submissions also may be shared on the Institute’s other digital and social media platforms, at the Institute’s sole discretion.

Additionally, winners will receive one of the following awards:

  • Tier 1: $1,000 cash award

  • Tier 2: $500 cash award

  • Tier 3: $250 cash award

Winners, with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), must confirm acceptance of their award in an email reply within seven (7) business days. A W-8 or W-9 tax form is required to accept the reward and is coordinated with the parent/legal guardian. Otherwise, the Sponsors reserve the right to select an alternate.

Rights, Liability, & Other Legal Terms
The Sponsor does not endorse any submissions, including their messages or contents, and expressly disclaims any and all liability in connection with the video submissions, including any related disputes. The Sponsor and the Contest prohibit any infringement of any intellectual property in connection with participants’ submissions and reserve the right to remove and disqualify any submission believed to infringe on another’s intellectual property rights.

Participants retain sole ownership of their submission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, participants and their parents or legal guardians agree to give the Sponsors the right to use all submitted content for purposes of judging the Contest. In consideration for entering the Contest, Winners further agree to give permission to the Sponsors, with credit, a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, and/or display the submission through any digital, social media, or other media channels in perpetuity in connection with the Contest and the “Our Future Is Science” media campaign intended to position societally minded youth as leaders and innovators who will push science forward in the 21st Century.

Adult participants or minor participants’ parents or legal guardians assume sole responsibility for the submission, and any content contained therein, and for any consequences of submitting or sharing it.

The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any participant or submission that the Sponsor decides does not comply with the Official Rules, as well as any individual who has violated TikTok or Instagram’s terms of use or service, or who has acted in bad faith or in violation of the Institute’s Community Agreement (http://www.aspeninstitute.org/communityagreement). The Sponsor further reserves the right to request further documentation to confirm eligibility and compliance.T he Sponsor reserves the right to change, postpone, or cancel the Contest, for any reason, in their sole discretion.

Adult participants or minor participant’s parents or legal guardians agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsors (the Aspen Institute and Coda Societies), TikTok, Instagram, any companies or entities involved in the administration of this Contest, and their respective employees, officers, directors, and agents, from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) from (i) violation of these Official Rules; (ii) violation of any third party right, including, but not limited to, with respect to intellectual property and privacy; or (iii) any claim that a submission caused any harm to another party. This obligation shall survive beyond the end of the Contest.

The Sponsor will take reasonable measures to protect the participants’ privacy. For more information about the Institute’s privacy practices, refer to http://www.aspeninstitute.org/privacy. The Sponsor assumes no liability for any loss or harm resulting from any participant’s participation in or attempt to participate in the Contest, including with respect to any technical problems. The Sponsor is not responsible for any personal injury, property damage, or losses of any kind which may be sustained by the participant or participant’s property in connection with participating in the Contest. By participating, the participant and the participant’s parents or legal guardians release the Sponsor from any and all claims arising from or relating to such participation, to the fullest extent permitted by law. By entering this Contest, participants agree to abide by these Official Rules in full.

Questions about the Contest
If you have questions about the Contest, please email: OFIS@aspeninstitute.org and put “OFIS Video Contest” in the subject heading.