Entrants share what they see in a school building in one of two ways:

• Words - Written submission of 500 words or less
• Image– Photo or illustration of no more than 2MB

Submissions will be used as part of advocacy efforts to ensure high-quality school buildings for all children.

Judging Criteria

The judging panel will select photos and stories that show how your school building—its classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, athletic facilities, cafeteria, offices, fields—supports or hampers:

• Teaching and learning
• The environment
• Teacher or student physical or mental health
• Community vitality

Judges will consider whether the entry is:

• Inspiring (Does it make me want to act?)
• Entertaining (Does it make me want to tell my friends about it?)
• Clear Message (Is the message easy to understand?)
• Originality (Does it convey the message in a unique and creative way?)

Prizes

• Selected photos and stories will be shown at a special exhibition in Washington DC.
• Many more entries will be published in a Through Your Lens book and in an online gallery.
• Five student winners will receive a Vado pocket video camcorder by Creative Labs.

Timeline

• Submissions will be accepted beginning on Aug. 18, 2009.
• The deadline for submissions is Sept. 14, 2009.
• Winners will be announced by Oct. 5, 2009.

Sponsors

The contest is sponsored by The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign. Questions? Please contact us.

Eligibility

The contest is open to students, teachers, school staff, parents, nurses and all members of the school community. Students and teachers are especially encouraged to enter! All submissions will be eligible for selection for the Capitol building exhibit, the Through Your Lens book and the online gallery. In addition, students are eligible to win one of five pocket camcorders!

The contest is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Judges, their immediate family members and members of the same households, whether related or not, are not eligible to participate. Void where prohibited by law.

Participants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this contest.

The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign reserve the right to disqualify any entries on the basis of appropriateness, as determined by the contest judges and representatives.

Participants agree that The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign retain the right to use content submitted in publication and communications. This includes, but is not limited to, communications related to school facility legislation. Content may also be shared with select partners to use for advocacy related to ensuring that all children have access to safe, healthy school buildings.

How to Enter the Contest

Beginning at 12:00:01 a.m. CST on Aug. 18, 2009 and continuing until 12:00 am CST on Sept. 14, 2009 (“Contest Entry Period”) participants may submit entries to the contest through an entry form on the Through Your Lens website.

Words
To enter a written submission, complete the contest submission form on the Through Your Lens website.

Images
To enter photos or illustrations, complete the contest submission form on the Through Your Lens website.

You may submit as many submissions as you would like. An entrant must be an individual, not a group or organization. You must also provide your email address, school or organization or personal name, mailing address, phone number, and confirmation of your eligibility when you submit an entry (per the above requirements).

By entering the contest, you grant The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign the right to contact you regarding your entry, publicize your entry, promote your entry for any other purpose and/or broadcast your entry.

Submission constitutes agreement to the rules of the Contest. The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign are not responsible for technical problems on the host site.

Entries (words and images) may NOT contain: Any copyrighted material for which you do not demonstrate the rights to use; third party stock photography or artwork for which you do not demonstrate the rights to use; nudity, violence, lewd or vulgar behavior; offensive language and/or gestures.

All entries must be appropriate for all audiences. Any entry that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, obscene, as determined by The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign in their sole discretion, will not be eligible.

Entrants represent and warrant that (i) the entries (writing, photos) that they submit: are their own original creations and do not infringe any other person's or entity's rights; (ii) they have obtained permission, if applicable, from the people featured in the image to enter this contest; and (iii) the submission of the idea will not violate any enforceable agreements or understandings submitter has with any third party. Entries must be an original creation.

Entrant further represents and warrants that the entrant has obtained permission from each person whose name, image, likeness or voice is included in the submission, and that such person(s) have granted entrant all necessary rights to use the person’s likeness as described in these rules, and that entrant can make written copies of such permissions available to the sponsor upon request. If the likeness of a minor is included, such grant of rights must include written permission from the minor’s parent or legal guardian authorizing the use of the minor’s likeness on behalf of the minor.

Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign and its employees, representatives, and agents from any and all liability, loss, damage, cost or expense, including reasonable counsel fees and expenses, paid or incurred by reason of its breach of any of the obligations, covenants, representations or terms contained in these contest rules or by reason of its intentional or grossly negligent conduct relating to performance of this agreement.

Cost

There is no cost to participate in the contest. No purchase is necessary.

Notification; Provision of Phone Number, Address

Winners will be notified via email and phone within approximately five (5) business days after determination that they are eligible to receive a prize. They will be asked to confirm their phone number, mailing address and any necessary information.

Entrants who do not provide a phone number and mailing address with their initial submission will forfeit any prizes. If an entrant cannot be reached by email within seven (7) business days of the first attempt to notify them, the prizes may be forfeited and the next successful entrant will receive said prizes.

If any group of individuals elects to collaborate on a submission, they are required to designate one representative to enter the contest and accept the prize on behalf of the group. Neither sponsor nor any of the contest parties are liable for any disputes between collaborators related to a submission.

Delivery of Prizes

The prizes will be awarded within approximately 30 days of contact with the winner, or on a later date mutually agreed upon by the winner and the contest sponsors.

Announcement of Winners

Through Your Lens will announce the winners and post their full names on the web site and in other publications following the completion of the contest.

Use of Winners’ Names and Likeness

Each winner who accepts any prize will be deemed thereby to have granted to The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign the right, at any time and from time to time, to print, publish, broadcast and use, worldwide and in any media now known or hereafter developed, including but not limited to, the Internet and world wide web, the name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and biographical information of each such winner as news or information and for advertising and promotional purposes without additional consideration, except where prohibited by law.

Disqualification

The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign reserve the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any participant that it determines, in its sole discretion, is ineligible to participate in the contest. Failure to comply with these rules may result in a participant’s disqualification.

Grant of Rights in Words and Images Submitted

Submission of an entry constitutes the irrevocable right to The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign of all rights in the words or images, all rights to use, copy, sublicense, edit, modify, make derivative works, publish, exploit, transmit, distribute, publicly perform, publish, delete or display the content of and elements embodied in the entry, in whole or in part, in perpetuity in any and all media (whether now existing or hereafter devised) without limitation, and the unconditional right to use the idea and statements about the entry for advertising/publicity purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

Limitation of Liability

If for any reason the contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this contest, Healthy Schools Campaign reserves the right at their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the contest, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest.

The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries.

The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail to be received by Healthy Schools Campaign on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this contest.

Limitation of Remedies

Under no circumstances, including negligence, shall The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign or affiliated entities or its successors or assigns, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives be liable for any direct, incidental, indirect, special or consequential damages, or exemplary or punitive damages, including, but not limited to loss of profits or harm to business or reputation, arising out of participation in the contest, posting on or access and/or download of any materials or information from any web site owned, operated or controlled by The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign or affiliated entities, or acceptance or usage of a payment, including without limitation damage to property and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, damages for bodily or personal injury, even if The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign or any affiliated entities, their successors or assigns, or any of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents or representatives has been advised of the possibility of such damages or loss. The aggregate liability of The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign arising out of any kind of claim (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) shall not exceed $1.00. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. The 21st Century School Fund, Critical Exposure, and Healthy Schools Campaign reserves the right to suspend, cancel, terminate or modify the contest without advance notice, and thereafter to re-commence such contest, if at all, only at such time(s) and upon such terms and conditions as we shall deem reasonable under the circumstances.

Severability

If any one or more provisions of these official rules are held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the validity, effect or enforcement of any other provision or provisions of these official rules.