WOW 2026 Challenge Coin Design and Poetry Contests
The Explorers Club is inviting K-12 students to submit original art or poetry for our 2026 World Oceans Week Challenge Coin and for the Poetry Contest. Winners will be recognized by The Explorers Club during WOW, June 1-5, in New York City.
Submissions for either the Challenge Coin or Poem must include one or more ambassador species and be original material. The 2026 Ocean Ambassadors are Great White Shark, Krill and the Giant and Colossal Squid.
Students may submit to both the art and the poetry contest; but students can submit only one entry for each contest.
All entries are due by March 27, 2026. See contest rules for specifics about the challenge coin and poetry submissions.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Call for Entries: WOW 2026 Challenge Coin Contest, K-12 Students
What is a Challenge Coin?
Challenge Coins are unique and are believed to date back to ancient history. Today Challenge Coins are used by the president, in the military, and in civic organizations to recognize members for their outstanding accomplishments.
Design Contest Rules:
-Designs must include WOW 2026 ambassador species (one or more)
-Artwork in your design must be original (not copied) using crayons, markers, colored
pencils and digital art.
-Use no more than 7 color gradients and do not include any letters or writing.
-Designs must fit inside the circle in the template provided.
-Design entries must be in format of PDF or JPG, and should be uploaded in a folder with teacher name and email, school name and address, student name, grade level and contact email.
-Designs should be submitted through the provided link. Submissions that are emailed or mailed will not be accepted. Teachers, please write out student’s name if not legible.
Design entry link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lInRR3bJq6Cbu9SFr91CLCkU2YkkufWa?usp=sharing
Design Criteria:
A panel of judges will review all entries. Artwork will be judged for creativity, originality, professional quality (neatness and craft), and aesthetic quality (design, composition, color/tones).
2026 Challenge Coin Contest Winner:
One winning design will be selected by contest judges for the design that will be used on the WOW 2026 Challenge Coin.
Members of the art judging team will work with the Challenge Coin finalist to prepare and finalize the design for the 2026 WOW Challenge Coin.
Rights to usage:
Entering the Challenge Coin Design Contest constitutes permission for Explorers Club to use, without notice, worldwide and in perpetuity, any eligible entry, including name, teacher, grade and school, in any and all media for any purpose,
including without limitation, printer materials and promotional purposes as well as in, on or in connection with the website or the contest or other promotions.
If you have any questions, please email eb*****@***il.com
Gerald and Buff Corsi / Focus on Nature
Call for Entries: WOW 2026 Poetry Contest, K-12 Students
Poetry Contest Rules:
-Poems must include one or more WOW 2026 ambassador species
-All poems must be original and should be written in English, French or Spanish. They should not include drawings or artwork.
Poem length limits:
Grades K-3: No more than 8 lines
Grades 4-8: No more than 16 lines
Grades 9-12: No more than 24 lines
-Poetry Contest entries may be haiku, rhyming or freeform and should be in format of PDF or JPG. Entries from K-3 students can be scanned from a handwritten entry.
-Submissions should include teacher’s name and email, school name and address, and student’s name, grade level and contact email. Designs should be submitted through the provided link. Submissions that are emailed or mailed will not be accepted.
Poetry entry link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lInRR3bJq6Cbu9SFr91CLCkU2YkkufWa?usp=sharing
Poetry Contest Winner Criteria:
A panel of judges will review all poems for creativity, language, and representation of the ambassadors.
2026 Poetry Contest Finalists:
Finalists will be selected for each ambassador species, with runners up for each Grade Group. The Explorers Club will highlight the winning poems during the WOW 2026 activities in New York City.
Rights to usage:
Entering the WOW 2026 Poetry Contest constitutes permission for Explorers Club to use, without notice, worldwide and in perpetuity, any eligible entry, including name, teacher, grade and school, in any and all media for any purpose, including without limitation, printer materials and promotional purposes as well as in, on or in connection with the website or the contest or other promotions.
If you have any questions, please email: eb*****@***il.com
Yosuke Tanaka/Dive Resort T-Style
No upcoming events found.
Donate
Help teachers around the world provide world class STEM materials.
Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants is Free for Classrooms Anywhere
