Award Rules

You must read the following Rules, Terms and Conditions before submitting your application!

2009 TEENS FOR PLANET EARTH SERVICE AWARDS RULES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS

The Wildlife Conservation Society (“WCS”) invites Teens for Planet Earth (“TPE”) teams to submit applications for its 2009 Teens for Planet Earth Service Awards (the "Service Awards").

ELIGIBILITY: The Service Awards are open to groups ("Teams") of one or more individuals (each individual, a "Team Member"). All Team Members must be between the ages of 13 and 19 as of April 15, 2009. Teams are eligible to submit applications regardless of the residence or citizenship of their Team Members, so long as the laws of their jurisdiction allow participation. A Team Member may be a member of only one Team submitting an application. Limit one application per Team. Applications not containing the required information, applications in excess of the stated limit, and applications not submitted in the required format or not meeting the application criteria will be disqualified. Any attempted form of application other than that described herein is void. Employees, trustees and officers of WCS and the immediate family members and household members of each are not eligible to be Team Members of any Team submitting an application. Becoming an awardee is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with these Rules, Terms and Conditions. Failure to comply will result in disqualification and selection of an alternate awardee. If any Team Member is deemed ineligible, the entire Team is disqualified and the runner-up applicant will be declared the potential awardee.

HOW TO ENTER: There is one way to submit an application. Completed applications must be submitted by mail and must be postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 15, 2009. All materials must be mailed together in one packet to:

        Teens for Planet Earth

        Bronx Zoo Education Department

        Wildlife Conservation Society

        2300 Southern Boulevard

        Bronx, New York 10460

        USA

JUDGING: Judging will be performed by a panel of judges from WCS, whose decisions are final in all matters relating to this Contest.

DEADLINES: All applications must be postmarked no later than 11:59 p.m., applicant’s local time, on April 15, 2009. Awardees will be announced on or before June 30, 2009. WCS reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control.

AWARDS: Teams whose projects are deemed to be of exceptional quality will be awarded at three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Recipients of the Bronze Award will receive a certificate of merit for their achievements. Recipients of the Silver Award will receive a certificate of distinction for their achievements as well as an entire webpage devoted to showcasing the Team’s service-learning project. Recipients of the Gold Award will receive a certificate of excellence for their achievements; an entire webpage devoted to showcasing the Team’s service-learning project; and US$1,000 to further enhance their project or education. (Please note that US$1,000 is awarded to the Team, not Team Member.) Recipients of the Silver and Gold Awards will be profiled in the 2009 Teens for Planet Earth Service Awards Report. No transfer or substitution of any award will be permitted, except at WCS's sole discretion due to prize unavailability for any reason, and only then for a prize of greater or equal value as determined by WCS. All taxes and any other costs not specifically stated within these Rules, Terms and Conditions are the sole responsibility of the awardee.

OWNERSHIP OF APPLICATION MATERIALS: By applying, each applicant, and collectively, the Team, unconditionally assign and transfer to WCS all rights, title, and interest in and to the application materials, including, without limitation, the copyright therein. WCS shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to duplicate or alter the application materials for any purpose which WCS deems necessary or desirable. In the event that it is subsequently determined that WCS does not own the application materials, each Contestant grants to WCS, its successors, licensees and assigns the irrevocable, fully paid-up, perpetual, and exclusive license to use the application materials in any manner at any time or place, or for any purpose which WCS deems necessary or desirable, and in any present or future media. Each applicant agrees that WCS may, without any limitation or further compensation, use his or her name, voice and/or likeness in any and all media for the purpose of advertising and promoting the Service Awards and WCS. Neither applicants nor awardees shall be entitled to receive any compensation or credit for use of application materials, other than that disclosed in these Rules, Terms and Conditions.

LEGAL CONDITIONS: By submitting an application for this contest, applicants agree to the following legal conditions:

• Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that he or she has the right to apply and submit his or her materials in accordance with these Rules, Terms and Conditions.
• Service Awards are governed by the laws of the State of New York, with venue and jurisdiction in New York, and all claims must be resolved in the courts of New York.
• By submitting an application, each applicant agrees: (1) to release WCS from all liability, loss or damage arising out of their participation in the Service Awards and with respect to their acceptance and use/misuse of any prizes; (2) to be bound by these Rules, Terms and Conditions; (3) that the decisions of the judges are final and binding on all matters relating to the Service Awards; and (4) where legal, to the use of their names, likenesses and application materials for advertising and promotional purposes in all media worldwide (including online) without additional compensation, except in Tennessee and where otherwise prohibited by law. Winner is responsible for all federal, state and local taxes. An application, except where prohibited by law, constitutes a grant of permission to WCS winners’ names on its website and in connection with a Winners’ List without further notice or without additional compensation.
• WCS is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Service Awards, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of applications, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors. WCS assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay, theft, or destruction of, or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, applications.
• WCS reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Service Awards for any reason that compromises the legitimacy of the Service Awards or otherwise affects WCS’s ability to fairly administer the Service awards.

LIST OF AWARDEES: For a list of the awardees, available after June 30, 2009, send a stamped, self addressed envelope to:

    Teens for Planet Earth

    2009 Service Awards List of Awardees

    Bronx Zoo Education Department

    Wildlife Conservation Society

    2300 Southern Boulevard

    Bronx, New York 10460

    USA

Vermont residents may omit return postage.

RULES REQUEST: For a printed copy of the official rules send a stamped, self addressed envelope postmarked no later than April 15, 2009, to:

    Teens for Planet Earth

    2009 Service Awards Rules Request

    Bronx Zoo Education Department

    Wildlife Conservation Society

    2300 Southern Boulevard

    Bronx, New York 10460

    USA

Vermont residents may omit return postage.