Last reviewed: September 2016
EDUCAUSE Resources
How to DIY an Information Security Student Video & Poster Contest
Conducting a student information security awareness video and poster contest (also called “Student Video Contest” or SVC) can be an excellent way for campus information security departments to highlight information security concerns to campus constituents. The purpose of this toolkit is to help institutions create and develop their own information security awareness video and poster contests.
In general, the process for conducting a contest for students includes:
- Planning
- Judging
- Advertising
- Additional resources (sample content)
Contest Guidelines (Sample Text)
Win cash, gain experience, and earn recognition with one short video or a poster!
This institution is conducting its first contest in search of posters and short information security awareness videos developed by college students, for college students. The contest is sponsored (or supported) by x, y, and z. Winners will receive cash prizes. The posters and videos will be featured on the institution’s websites and social media pages, and may be used in campus security awareness campaigns. Winners will be notified by [date].
Submission Deadline: [Date]
Entry Requirements
Videos and posters must explain information security problems and specific actions college and university students can take to safeguard their computers, mobile devices, or personal information. Positive, action oriented messages are highly recommended and will be viewed favorably during the judging process. Please refer to the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Editorial Style Guide for tips on the tone or feel of a message. Two categories of videos are being sought: videos of two minutes or less for use in training or instruction, and 30-second public service announcements (PSAs). Posters should be submitted separately.
Entry Guidelines
Contestant Guidelines
Contest participants must currently be enrolled in and actively attending a college or university.
An individual student or a group of students may submit a video and/or poster.
More than one video and/or poster submission is permissible.
Departmental sponsorship of a video and/or poster submission is not allowed.
Submissions must be made online (see the “Submit Your Entry” section for more details). Contestants will be asked to provide contact information and accept the Contest Clearance Authorization form via e-mail.
Contestants must be willing to make minor adjustments if deemed necessary and as specified based on feedback from the judges. In order to be eligible to receive the cash prizes, contestants must acknowledge and make the necessary corrections within 15 to 30 days of notification.
Video Production Guidelines
Professional (paid) assistance may not be used in production of the video and will be grounds for disqualification.
Faculty advisors may offer support by directing contestants to other students for assistance but cannot aid in the creative process.
Minimal credits (limited to 10 seconds) are allowed (but not required) at the end of the two minute or less videos.
Credits should not be included on 30-second PSAs.
Winning video submissions must be able to submit a word document (.doc) or text file (.txt) so that closed captions can be added.
Video submissions must meet certain technical requirements. For questions about the production guidelines, please e-mail us.
To coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security and NCSA STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign, videos should incorporate the “Stop. Think. Connect.” message in some way. For example, including the logo at the end of the video, showing the words somewhere in the video, or simply saying the phrase within the video. Please refer to the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Editorial Style Guide for tips on the tone or feel of a message.
Video submissions should meet the following supported YouTube formats: WebM files; .MPEG4, 3GPP, and MOV files; .AVI, .MPEGPS, .WMV; or .FLV. Here is a list of some common formats that YouTube does NOT support: project files; MSWMM and WLMP; audio files (MP3, WAV, etc.); and image files (JPEG, PNG, etc.). Visit the YouTube Supported Formats site for more details.
Poster Guidelines
Each poster entry must be original artwork by student(s) for a broad student audience. Professional assistance is not allowed and will disqualify any entry.
Digital resolution of each entry must be sufficient to be printed at a maximum of 24 inches (width) by 36 inches (height) without print scaling (minimum 300 dpi).
Students should leave 1.5 inches of white space at the bottom of the poster to allow for the addition of sponsor and/or institutional logos.
Electronic formats allowed: JPEG and PDF. File size should be no larger than 25MB. The artist is responsible for conversion to digital format.
To coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security and NCSA STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign, posters should incorporate the “Stop. Think. Connect.” message in some way. For example, including the logo somewhere in the body of the poster or in the slogan or messaging. Please refer to the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Editorial Style Guide for tips on the tone or feel of a message.
Content Guidelines
Must use correct and consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization in all submissions.
Positive, action oriented messages are highly recommended and will be viewed favorably during the judging process. Please refer to the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Editorial Style Guide for tips on the tone or feel of a message or visit the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. website.
May be about general security awareness or focus on one specific topic.
Must be generic (do not reference any specific college or university, applications, or vendors).
Must be in good taste and appropriate for multicultural college and university populations.
Must be appropriate for all institution types (needs to work for research universities, community colleges, and so forth).
Must address topics that will retain relevance for one to two years (avoid narrow technology-specific topics such as a specific threat, virus, and so forth).
Must be original and not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right.
PLEASE NOTE: Video contest entries for public service announcements must be 30 seconds. The maximum video length for all other videos is two minutes.
Suggested Topics
Ideas for topics include, but are not limited, to:
Cloud security and considerations for sharing data
Computer security
Cybersafety; staying safe online
Malware and ransomware
Passwords and passphrases
Phishing or social engineering
Physical security
Privacy
Safeguarding data and personal information
Security of personally owned devices or mobile devices (BYOD)
Security risks of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing
Wireless security
For more ideas and suggestions, consult the HEISC Information Security Guide where you'll find additional categories and topics.
How to Submit Your Video and/or Poster
To enter the contest, you will need to complete the online entry submission form. (Please note: The online submission form will be available later this year.)
Please make sure that your video and poster entries conform to the entry requirements and technical specifications. E-mail any questions about your submissions to [e-mail address].
If selected, your video will be shared on the institution's website and/or YouTube channel. (Winning videos and posters will also be shared on other social media sites (e.g., Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr).
Prizes (Sample Text)
Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in each of the three categories (posters, training videos, and 30-second public service announcements).
Video Categories
The gold (first place) winners will receive $2,000.
The silver (second place) winners will receive $1,500.
The bronze (third place) winners will receive $1,000.
Honorable mention winners (up to 5 in each category) will receive a small prize -- e.g., Amazon gift card.
Poster Category
The gold (first place) winner will receive $1,500.
The silver (second place) winner will receive $1,000.
The bronze (third place) winner will receive $500.
Honorable mention winners (up to 5 in each category) will receive a small prize -- e.g., Amazon gift card.
PLEASE NOTE: Winners will be required to complete and return tax identification forms in order to receive a W-9 Form. Contest participants are advised that any cash prize over $600 must be reported as earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and any taxes due are the sole responsibility of the award recipient.
Judging Criteria/Rubric (Sample Text)
1) Creativity
Was there unexpected but effective use of design elements?
Did the message provide a new perspective?
2) Technical Quality (videos only)
Lighting
Sound
Editing
3) Content
Did the poster and/or video cover the appropriate topic(s)?
Did entrants use correct and consistent spelling, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization?
Did the submission incorporate the “Stop. Think. Connect.” message in some way?
Did the entrant use a positive, action oriented message?
Was the message communicated accurately?
Was the information conveyed of high quality?
Would this poster and/or video have a practical use for awareness education?
4) Overall Effectiveness of Delivery
Was there one key message, clearly stated?
How positive and persuasive was the message?
Did the entry include positive steps and actions people can take to protect themselves?
For videos: Is the viewer compelled to keep watching?
For posters: Is the entry impactful and attention-grabbing?
5) Comments [open field]
Questions or comments? 
Contact us.
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).