A crowdsourcing open call contest is one where a group of individuals solve a problem and then share exceptional solutions with the public.
Anyone can participate! There is no age requirement for submission. Submissions can be US-based or international, but all submissions must be in English.
We desire for you to think how you can communicate and/or portray public health information through creative works of art, letters, stories, and poetry so that the public is engaged and more understanding of emerging, important public health issues and topics. We are wanting to hear about personal experiences, field involvement, or even research data expressed through these forms that prove we can think about and disseminate public health information in a unique way. We are excited to see how you can recreate public health as art, letters, stories, and poetry!
You can submit your idea to Submittable.
Yes, you can submit an entry on behalf of a group of individuals. The submission process is the same. Prizes will be given per individual if submitted by oneself or per group if submitted on behalf of a team.
No, you can submit as many entries as you want. At the same time, be mindful that quality of entries is more important than quantity. If you plan to submit your idea as a team or group of individuals, please avoid submitting multiple entries from members of the same team, and instead select a single individual to submit an entry on behalf of the team.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, May 1, 2023, at 11:59 CST.
Submissions will be evaluated through a collaborative style of judging based on the following criteria:
Innovation: Is the submission transformative? Does the submission offer a new way to rethink a public health issue?
Clarity of expression: Is the submission clearly expressed, narrated, or represented? Is the submission understandable?
Originality and creativity in expression: Does the submission show creative thinking? Does the submission stand out as unique and original?
Appeal of content: How well would the submission resonate with the public? Would the public find interest in the content?
Relevance to public health: Does the submission connect to a public health issue? How much significance does the submission offer to the public health field?
A collaborative style of judging is where the judges meet with the individuals who submit to discuss their submission. In collaborative judging, you will work with independent judges to ensure understanding of the intent of your work and create new value together.
No, your creative work cannot have been previously published. An exception would be if it has been published on a personal website, blog, Spotify, etc.
Yes, but if you are submitting concurrently, please tell us if your submission is accepted elsewhere. Your submission with LIGHT will have to be withdrawn.
The top three submissions in each of our four categories (art, letters, poems, and stories) will receive a prize. The top contestants in each category will be featured in our second issue of the LIGHT Journal that is expected to be released in Spring 2024. All submissions will receive consideration for publication in the journal dependent on the number and quality of submissions.
Prizes for each category are as follows:
Letters: Dear Public Health/or Letters to Public Health Prize
1st place: $500
2nd place: $375
3rd place: $125
Stories: PEN-3 Prize in Storytelling
1st place: $500
2nd place: $375
3rd place: $125
Poems: Poetry Is Not a Luxury Prize
1st place: $500
2nd place: $375
3rd place: $125
Art: Arts for Public Health Prize
1st place: $500
2nd place: $375
3rd place: $125
The top entrants will be notified of their selection via email or telephone number in early June of 2023. All entrants will be acknowledged for their submission.
Yes, your creative submission has the opportunity to be published in the LIGHT journal. Please only submit what you would like the public to see or read in our journal. Your name will be published along with your submission.
