The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has some exciting news for you! 2018 has been declared the International Year of the Reef (IYOR). IYOR is a global effort to increase awareness and understanding on the values and threats to coral reefs and to support related conservation, research, and management efforts. All around the world, nations, organizations, schools, and individuals will celebrate the IYOR 2018 in a variety of ways.

Students can participate in IYOR by entering the Science Without Borders® Challenge. This year, we are partnering with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) to celebrate IYOR through the Science Without Borders® Challenge.  ICRI is an informal partnership between nations and organizations, which strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world. They also oversee IYOR. 

About the Science without Borders® Challenge 

The Science Without Borders® Challenge was created to get students and teachers interested in ocean conservation through various forms of art. This annual contest inspires students to be creative while learning about important ocean conservation issues. The Science Without Borders® Challenge is open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old, with scholarships of up to $500 awarded to the winning entries.

The theme for the 2018 Science without Borders® Challenge is “Why Coral Reefs Matter.”

Winners of the Science without Borders® Challenge will be publicly announced. Prizes awarded to contestant winners are as follows: 

1st Place: $500 scholarship
2nd Place: $350 scholarship
3rd Place: $200 scholarship

The deadline for entry into this year’s Science without Borders® Challenge is Monday, April 23, 2018, at 11:59 pm.