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Be Smart – Anti-Tobacco Contest

The Be Smart – Don't Start anti-tobacco contest got a make-over and it's looking better than ever! The new and improved curriculum and contest categories provide teachers and students a fun and easy program that includes the new Oklahoma C3 Standards to help prepare students for State Testing.

Curriculum

This year, Be Smart – Don't Start curriculum is available for both grade categories, in order to effectively communicate the anti-tobacco lessons to the targeted age groups participating in the contest. The two grade categories are kindergarten through 2nd grade and 3rd through 5th grade.

The interactive curriculums are available on DVD and are Smart Board compatible. Teachers are able to plug the curriculum into their Smart Boards or computers and students can follow the anti-tobacco lessons and answer questions that have been structured based on the Oklahoma C3 Standards.

It is our hope that the new and improved curriculum will provide a more convenient option for teachers to present the Be Smart – Don't Start contest and avoid interruption of State Testing preparation.

If you have any problems with the curriculum, please contact besmart@bcbsok.com.

Entry Categories

The Be Smart – Don't Start anti-tobacco contest is catching up with digital age. The contest is introducing three new entry categories to expand the creative options and allow for a broader range of participation. The categories and descriptions are below:

  • Video: Classes may create a 30-45 second video in the form of a commercial, PSA or any other creative act they can design for submission.
  • Audio: Classes might feel more comfortable creating a song, jingle, poem rap, or other vocal talent without being seen, this category allows them that opportunity.
  • Visual: The Visual category is very broad. Classes can create a visual piece of art through painting, photography or animation and take a photo of it to submit electronically.

Do not concern yourself with the production quality of the entry. The judges will be scoring on content alone. Feel free to use whatever resources are most accessible to you and your classroom (i.e. smartphone, digital camera, etc.). Once a winner has been selected, the multimedia developer from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma will schedule a time to film, record or photograph the winning entry to turn into a professional quality public service announcement.

Entries and Submissions

Also new to the contest, participating students will create their entries together as a class instead of individuals. Individual entries will not be judged and class sizes may not exceed 30 students.

Entry submission is faster and more convenient than ever! Once you have the final version of your entry, go to bcbsok.com/dontstart and follow the simple steps below:

  • Click 'Submit An Entry' in the left hand navigation of the page.
  • Click 'Browse' at the bottom of the page.
  • Select your entry from the file list.
  • Click 'Submit'

A screen will pop up on your screen indicating that your entry has been submitted successfully. If you have any problems submitting your entry, please contact besmart@bcbsok.com.

Judging

The entries will be judged in two grade divisions:

  1. kindergarten through 2nd grade
  2. 3rd grade through 5th grade

This judging structure is designed to test each grade level on the anti-tobacco lessons provided in in the division's contest curriculum. Within the two grade divisions, there will be a first, second and third place winner in each of the three entry categories: video, audio and visual. Below is a metric to help explain the categories and award placing:

The entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Visual aspect of the entry.
  • Does the message coordinate with the anti-tobacco message in the Be Smart – Don't Start curriculum?
  • Provide accurate information from the anti-tobacco curriculum throughout the entry.
  • Does the submission coordinate with the Be Smart – Don't Start lessons in the curriculum?

Incentives

iPads, a field trip and iTunes gift cards are just a few Be Smart – Don't Start prizes up for grabs this year! Below is the list of prizes each level of winner will receive:

Overal Winner:

The overall winner is the entry that stands out beyond all other entries. The overall winning class will have proven that they understand the concepts in the Be Smart – Don't Start curriculum and used that knowledge to create awareness through their entry. Below are the prizes for the overall winner:

  • Entry will be produced into a television and radio public service announcement
  • One iPad for the class to share
  • Field trip to the state capitol (food and travel expenses paid)
  • Field trip to Science Museum of Oklahoma (food and travel expenses paid)
  • $200 iTunes gift card
  • Be Smart – Don't Start trophy

1st place winners

  • One iPad for the class to share
  • Field trip to the state capitol (food and travel expenses paid)
  • Field trip to Science Museum of Oklahoma (food and travel expenses paid)
  • $150 iTunes gift card
  • Be Smart – Don't Start Plaque

2nd place winners

  • $100 Scholastic Grant
  • Be Smart – Don't Start Plaque

3rd place winners

  • $100 Scholastic Grant
  • Be Smart – Don't Start Plaque