Prizes

First place: $2,500 + matching donation to Waterkeeper

Second place: $1,000

Third place: $500

Dates to know

April 22: Submissions open

May 25, 11:59 PM EST: Submissions close

June 1: Winners announced

About this Challenge

Our oceans cover 71 percent of the planet and are home to the valuable species and ecosystems we rely on for food, resources, and climate regulation. Protecting the oceans starts with us. That's why for this Challenge, we're calling on you, our community of conscious creators, to help us make waves for much-needed change. Share how you plan to make adjustments in your everyday life to help reduce your carbon footprint and further protect our oceans from further destruction.

Most carbon emissions we create are not intentional–they're simple decisions we make every day without thinking of the consequences. That's why we've launched our newest community, Earth, home for sustainability hacks to the latest on climate change to Mother Nature appreciation, and everything about the planet we call home.

Tell us how you're recycling, reducing, and reusing to help minimize your carbon emissions, and share those tips so that others can join us in making a difference. If you don't know where to start, this is a great time to think about how you want to begin making small but impactful changes in your daily life. Whether you choose to carpool, start using reusable household items over a single-use plastic, or compost your food waste, provide us with information to educate us all on how to do better together.

Requirements

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until May 25, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Wave Makers Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or third place prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these 35 countries will not be eligible to win.