Earth Science Week Video Contest 2026: Win $300 for a 1–2 Minute Film

Make the hidden journey of everyday materials visible

Most of us see the finished product—a phone, a bicycle, a building—but not the earth materials or people behind it. The 2026 Earth Science Week video contest asks creators to close that gap with a short film built around the theme “From Mine to Market.”

This is a worldwide contest open to creators of any age, and you can enter by yourself or as a team. The brief is compact: tell an accurate, engaging story in one to two minutes about how raw materials move from the ground into the products and systems we use every day.

Contest details

• Deadline: October 16, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
• Who can enter: Individuals and teams of any age, anywhere in the world.
• Entry fee: No entry fee is listed on the official contest page.
• Prize: $300 plus publication by the American Geosciences Institute.
• Video format: An original English-language video between one and two minutes long.

What should your video cover?

The theme gives you room to focus on a single mineral, a product, a community, or the larger supply chain. A strong entry might follow one familiar object backward to its geological source, explain a step viewers rarely see, or show why responsible sourcing matters. Keep the science accurate, make the story easy to follow, and let the visuals do real work.

Important rules before you create

Your entry must be original and unpublished—including on your own website or social media. The rules also prohibit video, audio, narration, scripts, or visuals that were generated or substantially modified with artificial intelligence. Only one entry is allowed per person or team.

Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian release, and releases are required for minors who appear in the film. You keep your copyright, while the American Geosciences Institute receives permission to display the entry for educational, promotional, and exhibition purposes.

How to enter

Build your video around the official theme, check every technical and release requirement, and submit through the organizer’s entry process before the Eastern Time deadline. Because the film cannot have been posted publicly, wait until the contest rules allow publication before sharing it anywhere else.

Read the official Earth Science Week rules and enter.

Online Video Contests independently summarizes opportunities and is not the contest organizer.