Free mobile phone recycling service MobileMuster is inviting students from around Australia to produce creative pieces that inspire recycling action. With two $5000 first prizes and a total prize pool of $16,000, the competition opened June 12 and entries will be accepted until September 30.
This year’s competition is expanded to include drawing and photography, as well as film – and is aiming to encourage more students to express their ideas about recycling creatively.
The competition is sponsored by the non-profit organisation MobileMuster, which has been helping Australians recycle their mobile phones for 25 years, tackling the ongoing problem of electronic waste. The organisation is the product stewardship program of the Australian mobile phone industry, accredited by the federal government, and provides its program to the highest environmental standard.
Educating the next generation of environmentally-conscious consumers is one of MobileMuster’s core objectives, leading to a partnership with Cool Australia to develop educational resources for teachers with lesson plans for Years 3-8 to explore themes around recycling, waste and sustainability. These will assist students develop ideas for their artwork based on the theme ‘Inspiring Recycling Action’.
Ms Aislinn Mullins’ class from Dudley Public School in NSW entered the MobileMuster Film Competition in 2022. She said it complemented the classroom’s learning on sustainability.
“My students were engaged and loved creating their video entry. Each group worked in a small team to complete their part of the larger plan. They were so proud of the finished product, though they never expected to be named as finalists,” she said.
The competition is open to individuals, groups or classes. Home-schooled students are also welcome to enter.
There are two age group categories: Primary (Years 1-6) and Secondary (Years 7-12). Students can enter a piece in one of three categories: short film, drawing or photograph.
There will be two major prizes of $5000 awarded, one in the Primary School category and one in the Secondary School category, with three runners-up (one for short film, one for drawing and one for photography in each age group) winning $1,000 each.
Mr Joel Murray, from MobileMuster, said: “Recycling is a core part of the national curriculum, and we hope that the competition incentivises school children around Australia to learn more about the positive impact of recycling mobile phones on the environment. We’re looking forward to seeing all the amazing creative entries.”
The deadline for entries is September 30, 2023. Winners and finalists will be announced in the lead up to National Recycling Week (13-19 November).
Inspiration can be drawn from viewing some of last year’s winners here. For more information about the MobileMuster Schools Competition, including guidelines, prizes, and terms and conditions, visit here.
Key facts
Theme: Inspiring Recycling Action
Deadline: September 30, 2023
Media: Short film, drawing, photograph
Age Groups: Primary school & secondary school
Prizes: $5000 for the winner in each age group, $1000 for the finalist in each category
More information: https://www.mobilemuster.com.au/education/competition/
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