Contest Rules: The 2020 Living Standard and Center for Green Schools Storytelling Scholarship Competition

INTERNET AND EMAIL ACCOUNT REQUIRED. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE CHANCE OF WINNING. PROMOTION GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF WASHINGTON, D.C. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. ENTRY IN THIS CONTEST CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES.

ELIGIBLE MINORS MUST SUBMIT PERMISSION FROM THEIR PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS PRIOR TO THE AWARD OF ANY PRIZE.

ALL DISPUTES WILL BE RESOLVED SOLELY BY BINDING ARBITRATION AND ENTRANTS WAIVE THE ABILITY TO BRING CLAIMS IN A CLASS ACTION FORMAT.

The Living Standard and Center for Green Schools Storytelling Scholarship Competition (the “Contest”) is designed to encourage You (“Entrant” or “You”) to use Your innovation and creativity to share how You are positively impacting your school or community in a sustainable way (such video submission, the “Entry”). The winning Entries will be featured on USGBC, Living Standard, GBCI, and Center for Green Schools websites and social media channels, and the winner will be awarded $2,500 and the runner-up will be awarded $1,000, both toward pursuing post-high school education in accordance with these Official Rules (these “Rules”).

BINDING AGREEMENT: In order to enter the Contest, You must agree to the Rules. Therefore, please read these Rules prior to Entry to ensure You understand and agree. You agree that Your Entry constitutes agreement to these Rules. You may not submit an Entry to the Contest and are not eligible to receive the prizes described in these Rules unless You agree to these Rules. These Rules form a binding legal agreement between You and USGBC with respect to the Contest.

ELIGIBILITY:  The contest is open to high school seniors and college undergrads who will attend post-high school education (college, university, trade, or tech school) in 2020 . Minors who enter must present the written consent of a parent or legal guardian if they are determined to be winners. Contest is void where prohibited by law. Employees, interns, and contractors of the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc., Informa Exhibitions U.S. Construction and Real Estate, Inc. (“Informa”) and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, advertising and promotion agencies, representatives, and agents (collectively, “Contest Entities”), and members of the Contest Entities’ and their immediate families (parents, siblings, children, spouses, and life partners of each, regardless of where they live) and members of the households (whether related or not) of such employees, officers and directors are ineligible to participate in this Contest.

SPONSOR: The Contest is sponsored by U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. (“USGBC” or “Sponsor”), a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation with principal place of business at 2101 L Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC  20037, USA.

CONTEST PERIOD: The Contest begins on March 4, 2020 12:00 PM EDT in the United States and ends on April 12, 2020, 11:59 PM EDT (“Contest Period”). All dates are subject to change. Entries must be posted no later than April 12, 2020 at 11:59 PM EDT (“Deadline”).

HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. To enter the Contest, You must submit an application (found here: https://livingstandard.typeform.com/to/NizLhR) and follow the instructions, which include the following:

1. Describe what type of post-high school education You plan to pursue, where, and why.
2. Share in no more than 250 words why You’re applying for this scholarship.
3. Upload a 60-120 second video about how You’re leading on sustainability in Your school or community.  Please check Your video link carefully to be certain that it functions properly and ensure that it is not protected as “private.”  Please also ensure that the video is not mistakenly entered without any audio.
4. Once the video is uploaded, You should complete the online Entry Form.  You should save a copy of the submitted video. Videos will be judged solely on their content in the English language.
5. Title Screen: Entries should include a brief title screen that includes the contest title “The 2020 Living Standard and Center for Green Schools Storytelling”, Your name, and the title of the video.
6. Video Equipment: Videos may be produced on any equipment available to the entrant, including cell phones, video cameras, and computers. Videos may be in color or black and white, with or without sound, and with or without animation.
7. Assistance: Professional assistance is not allowed. Winners will be required to certify that they did not use professional assistance.
8. PLEASE NOTE: ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON IS PERMITTED

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS. Your Entry must meet the following criteria (“Entry Requirements”):

The Entry must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous or contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, tortuous, slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Contest.

The Entry must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of or contrary to all applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulation including the laws or regulations in any state where the Entry is created.

The Entry must not contain any content, material or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark, representation of characters indicating a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party, commercial entity or that is not within the spirit of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion.

The Entry must be an original, unpublished work that does not contain, incorporate or otherwise use any content, material or element that is owned by a third party or entity.

The Entry cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party’s publicity, privacy or intellectual property rights.  Videos containing copyrighted material used without permission will not be eligible for prizes.

The Entry may not be the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim.

The Entry must not include any disparaging remarks relating to the Sponsor or a third party.

During the Contest Period, the Sponsor, its agents and/or the judging panel (defined below) will be evaluating entries to ensure that they meet the Entry Requirements. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant who submits an Entry that does not meet the Entry Requirements. Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification.

JUDGING PANEL AND JUDGING CRITERIA:  The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges selected by the U.S. Green Building Council.

• The strength of an entry will be evaluated based on how well it captures the student’s commitment to sustainability through his or her actions, and the positive impact the student is making on their school or community.
• Ingenuity and originality in concept as well as clarity and creativity in expression will also be judged.

The decision of the panel is final and binding. If a potential winner is unable for whatever reason to accept the prize, then USGBC reserves the right to award the prize to another entrant.

Notification of Winner: Becoming a Winner is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules. If a winner is disqualified for any reason, the Entry that received the next highest total score (as determined in the sole discretion of the Judging Panel) will be chosen as the potential winner. The potential winner(s) will be selected and notified by email. If a potential winner does not respond to the notification attempt within three (3) days from the first notification attempt, then such potential winner may be disqualified and an alternate potential winner will be selected from among all eligible entries received based on the Judging Criteria described herein. Except where prohibited by law, each potential winner may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release and provide any additional information that may be required by Sponsor. If required, potential winners must return all such required documents via scan or fax (or as otherwise instructed) within forty-eight (48) hours following attempted notification or such potential winner will be deemed to have forfeited the prize and another potential winner may be selected based on the Judging Criteria described herein. In the event the potential winner is a minor, his or her parent or legal guardian must sign the documents and return them as described herein. All notification requirements, as well as other requirements within these Rules, will be strictly enforced. Determinations of the Judging Panel are final and binding. All potential winners, including their parent representatives, agree to keep the Entry strictly confidential between submission and the announcement of the winning Entry by USGBC.

PRIZES: After completing a prize validation, the Winner’s prize of $2,500 and the Runner-Up’s prize of $1,000  will be sent directly to the educational institution at which the winner plans to study. In addition, USGBC will feature the Winner’s Entry and the Runner-Up’s Entry on Living Standard, Center for Green School, USGBC, and GBCI websites and social media channels.

The time of the prize distribution will be provided to the Winners in the prize acceptance documents.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. USGBC reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant from the Contest if, in USGBC’s sole discretion, it reasonably believes that the Entrant has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, deception, or other unfair playing practices or annoys, abuses, threatens or harasses any other entrants, USGBC, or any on the Judging Panel.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: As between USGBC and the Entrant, the Entrant retains ownership of all intellectual and industrial property rights (including moral rights) in and to the Entry. As a condition of Entry, Entrant grants USGBC a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, transferable, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, adapt, modify, publish, distribute, publicly perform, create a derivative work from, and publicly display the Entry for any purpose, including display on the USGBC or Living Standard website, without any attribution or compensation to Entrant. Entries will not be returned. USGBC retains all rights in the USGBC products and services and Entry into this Contest will in no case serve to transfer any USGBC intellectual property rights to the Entrant.

PRIVACY: Entrants agree and acknowledge that personal data submitted with an Entry, including name and email address may be collected, processed, stored and otherwise used by USGBC and its affiliates for the purposes of conducting and administering the Contest. Individuals submitting personal information in connection with the Contest have the right to request access, review, rectification or deletion of any personal data held by USGBC in connection with the Contest by writing to USGBC at the following address: USGBC Privacy Officer, c/o USGBC, 2101 L Street, NW, Suite 500, WDC 20037.

PUBLICITY: By entering the Contest, Entrants agree to participate in any media or promotional activity resulting from the Contest as reasonably requested by USGBC at USGBC’s expense and agree and consent to use of their name and/or likeness by USGBC. USGBC will contact Entrants in advance of any USGBC-sponsored media request for interviews. USGBC reserves the right to publish the name and likeness of the Entrants with the top ten scores on the Contest Site or through other media for publicity purposes.

WARRANTY AND INDEMNITY: Entrants warrant that their entries are their own original work and, as such, they are the sole and exclusive owner and rights holder of the submitted Entry and that they have the right to submit the Entry in the Contest and grant all required licenses. Each Entrant agrees not to submit any Entry that: (a) infringes any third party proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, industrial property rights, personal or moral rights or any other rights, including without limitation, copyright, trademark, trade names, industrial designs, patent, trade secret, privacy, publicity or confidentiality obligations; or (b) otherwise violates applicable state, federal, or local law.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrant indemnifies and agrees to keep indemnified Sponsor at all times from and against any liability, claims, demands, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any act, default or omission of the Entrant and/or a breach of any warranty set forth herein. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Entrant agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Sponsor from and against any and all claims, actions, suits or proceedings, as well as any and all losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or accruing from: (i) any Entry material uploaded or otherwise provided by Entrant that infringes any copyright, trademark, trade secret, trade dress, patent or other intellectual property right of any person or defames any person or violates their rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) any misrepresentation made by Entrant in connection with the Contest; (iii) any non-compliance by Entrant with these Rules; (iv) claims brought by persons or entities other than the parties to these Rules arising from or related to Entrant’s involvement with the Contest; (v) acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize or participation in any Contest-related activity or participation in the Contest; (vi) any malfunction or other problem with the Contest Site in relation to the Entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant; (vii) any error in the collection, processing, or retention of the Entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant; or (viii) any typographical or other error in the printing, offering or announcement of any prize or winners in relation to the Entry and participation in the Contest by Entrant.

ELIMINATION: Any false information provided within the context of the Contest by Entrant concerning identity, mailing address, telephone number, email address, ownership of right or non-compliance with these Rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entrant from the Contest.

INTERNET AND DISCLAIMER: USGBC is not responsible for any malfunction of the entire Contest Site or any late, lost, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, illegible, undeliverable, or destroyed Entry due to system errors, failed, incomplete or garbled computer or other telecommunication transmission malfunctions, hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, typographical or system/human errors and failures, technical malfunction(s) of any telephone network or lines, cable connections, satellite transmissions, servers or providers, or computer equipment, traffic congestion on the Internet or at the Contest Site, or any combination thereof, including other telecommunication, cable, digital or satellite malfunctions which may limit Entrant’s ability to participate. USGBC is not responsible for the policies, actions, or inactions of others, which might prevent Entrant from entering, participating, and/or claiming a prize in this Contest. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules will not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify Entrants who violate the rules or interfere with this Contest in any manner. If an Entrant is disqualified, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate that Entrant’s eligibility to participate in the Contest.

RIGHT TO CANCEL, MODIFY OR DISQUALIFY: If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, USGBC reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. USGBC further reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant who tampers with the submission process or any other part of the Contest or Contest Site. Any attempt by an Entrant to deliberately damage any web site, including the Contest Site, or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, USGBC reserves the right to seek damages from any such Entrant to the fullest extent of the applicable law.

NOT AN OFFER OR CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT: Under no circumstances shall the submission of an Entry into the Contest, the awarding of a prize, or anything in these Rules be construed as an offer or contract of employment with either USGBC, or the Contest Entities. You acknowledge that You are submitting Your Entry voluntarily and not in confidence or in trust. You acknowledge that no confidential, fiduciary, agency or other relationship or implied-in-fact contract now exists between You and USGBC (and/or the Contest Entities) and that no such relationship is established by You submission of an Entry under these Rules.

FORUM AND RECOURSE TO JUDICIAL PROCEDURES: These Rules shall be governed by, subject to, and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia, United States of America, excluding all conflict of law rules. If any provision(s) of these Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect. To the extent permitted by law, the rights to litigate, seek injunctive relief or make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Contest are hereby excluded, and Entrants expressly waive any and all such rights.

WINNER’S LIST: You may request the identity of winner after June 1, 2020 by sending a self addressed stamped envelope (residents of Vermont need not supply postage) to:  USGBC, 2101 L Street, NW, Suite 500, WDC 20037 Attn: Legal Department.