EJ Youth Communicator Award

Environmental Justice Youth Communicator Award

Update: Deadline Extended to September 29, 2023

The University of North Carolina’s Environmental Justice Action Clinic is pleased to announce the Environmental Justice Youth Communicator Award.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been found in well water across North Carolina and may be attributed to a range of sources. The Environmental Justice Action Clinic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill needs your help! Seeking youth to develop an infographic about PFAS contamination to share with private well water users in rural communities.

Prompt:

Create an infographic that explains how PFAS contamination can affect rural North Carolina residents’ water.

The infographic should include:

• General information about PFAS (e.g., what they are, why they are an environmental health issue)
• Sources of PFAS that impact rural communities
• Ways PFAS can contaminate private wells in rural communities
• Current approaches to treating PFAS in private wells

Guidelines:

The infographic should be no more than 2 pages (1 sheet, double sided) and in PDF format. Successful infographics will be understandable to a wide audience and will include a balance of accurate text and images/graphics.

Eligibility:

The contest is open to all high school students who live or go to school in rural counties in North Carolina.

Award:

The top 2 infographics will be selected. First place will receive a $200 visa gift card, and second place will receive a $100 visa gift card.

Deadline:

Infographics are due on September 29, 2023. Students and teachers of winning infographics will be notified by October 13. The winning infographics will be featured on the Environmental Justice Action Clinic website and social media. The EJ Clinic will also consult with the winner to create the final infographic that will be shared with rural residents.

Register:

Please register for the contest. You’ll receive a list of reputable sources for PFAS information, background information, and evaluation criteria.

Submit:

Please submit your infographic at this link.

Questions?

Please email Charlotte Robbins at crobbin@unc.edu.

Evaluation Criteria:

Infographics will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Accuracy of information (30%)
• Creative design (30%)
• Accessibility (20%)
• Inclusion of highly impacted populations (20%)

NOTE: Designer can choose an intended audience and should note this in the submission form.

Want to learn more about PFAS?:

Visit our PFAS FAQs page to learn more!