Summer of Innovation Challenge Rules

Summer of Innovation is a campaign, powered by YELLOW, to foster creativity in students and educators nationwide.

How to Participate

  1. Learn about the Summer of Innovation Challenge at www.summerofinnovation.org. 
  2. Choose one of our 5 priorities and submit your narrative on how you will visually bring it to life. 
  3. Narrative submissions are due by Friday, July 29th, 2022 at 11:59PM|ET. 
  4. If selected to move forward with your narrative, you will be notified by August 3rd, 2022 and will receive an additional set of rules on how to submit your video submission.

General Rules & Conditions

  1. If the entrant is under 13 years old and gets selected to move forward to Round 2, then his or her parent or legal guardian must upload the video to the submission portal provided.
  1. Challenge participants must submit entries as required in the Summer of Innovation Challenge announcement in order to be eligible.
    1. Entries received after the deadline set forth in the Summer of Innovation Challenge announcement are ineligible, null, and void.
    2. Entrants must submit their work as an individual. Should another participant appear in the video as a “prop” or a part of your prototype demonstration, they are not subject to be named as a winner(s) should the applicant win the prize.
    3. No group submissions should be submitted, even if the other participant(s) is/are registered for the Summer of Innovation challenge.
    4. YELLOW will not be responsible for and will not consider incomplete or incorrect entries.
    5. YELLOW is not responsible for entries that are submitted but not received by YELLOW for any reason.
  2. All winners will be notified by email using the contact information they provided to YELLOW when they initially entered the Summer of Innovation Challenge.
    1. If the winner does not respond to the notification within five (5) business days, another winner will be chosen. Failure to respond within the time frames listed above shall mean that the provisional winner forfeits the prize.
    2. All winners must provide their permanent mailing address in order to claim their prize. Winners may also have to provide additional information such as parent’s date of birth, social security number, and other personal identifiable information for tax purposes.
  1. All photos, drawings, text, and any other content or information (henceforth to be known as “Deliverables”) that are submitted to YELLOW shall become the sole and exclusive property of YELLOW, and YELLOW shall have no obligation to preserve, return, or otherwise make available to you or others any Deliverables.
  2. You acknowledge and agree that YELLOW shall have no obligation to post, display, or otherwise make publicly available any Deliverables that you submit.
    1. Once your narrative and/or video is submitted, the upload confirmation you receive will be your last correspondence from us regarding your specific submission. You will only be contacted/notified about your narrative submission if you are selected to move to Round 2; and thereafter, if you are selected as a winner from Round 2, you will be notified if you have won the prize for your level.
    2. Due to the potentially overwhelming amount of uploads, YELLOW and/or our panel of judges will not be submitting individual feedback on your uploaded submission.
  3. You acknowledge and agree that YELLOW may make any Deliverables that you submit available for public viewing, rating, reviewing, and commenting.
    1. You acknowledge that comments or ratings that you disagree with or are unhappy about may be published or otherwise become associated with any Deliverables that you submit to YELLOW.
    2. By submitting Deliverables to YELLOW, you waive any privacy expectations that you might have with respect to said Deliverables.
  4. Winners may not request substitutions of prize winnings. All winners are solely responsible for any and all taxes and/or fees as well as all additional costs that may be incurred.
  5. The prizes are neither refundable nor transferable and cannot be extended. Documents once issued in the name of the winner are not transferable or refundable. Note that all applicable taxes and issuance fees are the sole responsibility of the winner.
  1. If the specified prize becomes unavailable for any reason, YELLOW in its sole and absolute discretion may substitute a prize of like or equal value.
  1. Summer of Innovation Challenge is open to U.S. residents only and is null and void in any jurisdiction where prohibited by law.
  2. YELLOW reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to terminate the Summer of Innovation Challenge at any time without prior notice.
  3. YELLOW reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to alter the Summer of Innovation Challenge rules at any time.
  4. By entering the Summer of Innovation Challenge, you conclusively are deemed to have agreed to be bound by these Summer of Innovation Challenge rules, terms and conditions as well as by any rules specific to the Summer of Innovation Challenge. This is an irrevocable condition of entry.
  1. Unless otherwise specified, the judging panel will consist of YELLOW designated Judges. Judges will look for originality and creativity from all eligible entries. Winners will be selected based upon skill or accomplishments, winners will be chosen by YELLOW on the merits of each entry, in YELLOW’s sole and absolute discretion.
  1. Prize winners will be emailed or phoned and may be required to complete and return a release form in order to redeem their prize.
  1. Return of email notification as undeliverable after 3 attempts or return of mailed prize as undeliverable will result in forfeit of prize.
  2. YELLOW reserves the right to require the winner to execute an affidavit of eligibility as a sworn document and provide other proof of eligibility as a condition of receipt of the prize or award.
  3. YELLOW reserves the right to condition the award of prizes upon the execution by the winner(s) of a publicity release. Notwithstanding this reserved right, entry is conclusively deemed to be permission by the entrant for YELLOW to use the entrant’s name (without compensation to the entrant) if the entrant is a winner to publicize the Summer of Innovation Challenge, as determined by YELLOW, unless prohibited by law. Winners cannot use the YELLOW logo or YELLOW’s Summer of Innovation name to solicit money, partnerships, products, or sponsorships. You cannot use YELLOW’s name as a co-sign for your personal and/or professional use to solicit anything.
  4. By entering this Summer of Innovation Challenge, the entrants automatically agree to accept and abide by these General Rules and Regulations.

GENERAL LIABILITY RELEASE/FORCE MAJEURE:  Entry in the Summer of Innovation Challenge constitutes entrant’s permission for the YELLOW and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, retailers, partners, sales representatives, advertising and promotion agencies (all such individuals and entities referred to collectively, the “Promotion Entities”) to use entrant’s name, photograph, likeness, voice, biographical information, statements, and address (city and state) for advertising and/or publicity purposes worldwide and in all forms of media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity, without further compensation.  Entrants agree that the Promotion Entities (A) shall not be responsible or liable for, and are hereby released from, any and all costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including, without limitation, death and bodily injury, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to participation in the Summer of Innovation Challenge or any Summer of Innovation Challenge-related activity, or from entrants’ acceptance, receipt, possession and/or use or misuse of any prize, and (B) have not made any warranty, representation or guarantee express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to any prize, including, without limitation, to such prize’s quality or fitness for a particular purpose.  Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any damage to an entrant’s, or any other person’s, computer system which is occasioned by participating in the Summer of Innovation Challenge, or for any computer system, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions, or other errors, failures, delayed computer transmissions or network connections that are human or technical in nature.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Sponsor is not responsible for incomplete, illegible, misdirected, misprinted, late, lost, damaged, stolen, or postage-due prize notifications; or for lost, interrupted, inaccessible or unavailable networks, servers, satellites, Internet service providers, websites, or other connections; or for miscommunications, failed, jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected computer, telephone or cable transmissions; or for any technical malfunctions, failures, difficulties or other errors of any kind or nature; or for the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, or the failure to capture any information.  Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Summer of Innovation Challenge, to be acting in violation of these Official Rules, or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Summer of Innovation Challenge, or to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person, and Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.  No mechanically reproduced, illegible, incomplete, forged, software-generated or other automated multiple entries will be accepted.  Sponsor reserves the right to modify, extend, suspend, or terminate the Summer of Innovation Challenge if it determines, in its sole discretion, that the Summer of Innovation Challenge is technically impaired or corrupted or that fraud or technical problems, failures, or malfunctions or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control have destroyed or severely undermined or to any degree impaired the integrity, administration, security, proper play and/or feasibility of the Summer of Innovation Challenge as contemplated herein.  In the event an insufficient number of eligible entries are received and/or Sponsor is prevented from awarding prizes or continuing with the Summer of Innovation Challenge as contemplated herein by any event beyond its control, including but not limited to fire, flood, natural or man-made epidemic of health of other means, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, satellite or equipment failure, riot or civil disturbance, terrorist threat or activity, war (declared or undeclared) or any federal state or local government law, order, or regulation, public health crisis, order of any court or jurisdiction, or other similar or dissimilar cause not reasonably within Sponsor’s control (each a “Force Majeure” event or occurrence), then Sponsor shall have the right to modify, suspend, extend, or terminate the Summer of Innovation Challenge.  If the Summer of Innovation Challenge is terminated before the designated end date, Sponsor will (if possible) select the winner(s) in a random drawing from all eligible, non-suspect entries received as of the date of the event giving rise to the termination.  Inclusion in such drawing shall be each entrant’s sole and exclusive remedy under such circumstances.  Only the type and quantity of prizes described in these Official Rules will be awarded.  These Official Rules cannot be modified or amended in any way except in a written document issued in accordance with law by a duly authorized representative of Sponsor.  Unless otherwise stated in these Official Rules, the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.  Unless otherwise stated in these Official Rules, in the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.

GOVERNING LAW/JURISDICTION:  ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANTS OR SPONSOR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SUMMER OF INNOVATION CHALLENGE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OR CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER STATE’S LAWS.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF ANY DISPUTES HEREUNDER, BY ENTERING THIS SUMMER OF INNOVATION CHALLENGE, EACH ENTRANT AGREES THAT ANY AND ALL DISPUTES, CLAIMS, AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THIS SUMMER OF INNOVATION CHALLENGE SHALL BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY, WITHOUT RESORT TO ANY FORM OF CLASS ACTION AND CONSENTS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION AND VENUE OF THE APPROPRIATE STATE OR FEDERAL COURT SITUATED IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

ARBITRATION PROVISION:  Except as set forth below, by participating in the Summer of Innovation Challenge, the entrant agrees that any and all disputes he or she may have with, or claims entrant may have against the Promotion Entities relating to, arising out of or connected in any way with (a) the Summer of Innovation Challenge, (b) the awarding or redemption of any prize, and/or (c) the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate (a “Claim”), will be resolved exclusively by final and binding arbitration in accordance with the Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA Rules”).  The arbitration will be heard and determined by a single arbitrator.  The arbitrator's decision in any such arbitration will be final and binding upon the parties and may be enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction.  The entrant and the Promotion Entities agree that the arbitration proceedings will be kept confidential and that the existence of the proceeding and any element of it (including, without limitation, any pleadings, briefs or other documents submitted or exchanged and any testimony or other oral submissions and awards) will not be disclosed beyond the arbitration proceedings, except as may lawfully be required in judicial proceedings relating to the arbitration, by applicable disclosure rules and regulations of securities regulatory authorities or other governmental agencies, or as specifically permitted by state law.  The Federal Arbitration Act and federal arbitration law apply to this agreement.  However, the Arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have the exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of these Official Rules including, but not limited to, a claim that all or any part of these Official Rules is void or voidable.

If the entrant demonstrates that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, the Promotion Entities will pay as much of the administrative costs and arbitrator's fees required for the arbitration as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the cost of the arbitration from being prohibitive.  In the final award, the arbitrator may apportion the costs of arbitration and the compensation of the arbitrator among the parties in such amounts as the arbitrator deems appropriate.

This arbitration agreement does not preclude either party from seeking action by federal, state, or local government agencies.  The entrant and the Promotion Entities also have the right to bring qualifying claims in small claims court.  In addition, the entrant and the Promotion Entities retain the right to apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for provisional relief, including pre-arbitral attachments or preliminary injunctions, and any such request shall not be deemed incompatible with these Official Rules, nor a waiver of the right to have disputes submitted to arbitration as provided in these Official Rules.

Neither the entrant nor the Promotion Entities may act as a class representative or private attorney general, nor participate as a member of a class of claimants, with respect to any Claim.  Claims may not be arbitrated on a class or representative basis.  The arbitrator can decide only the entrant’s and/or the Promotion Entities’ individual Claims.  The arbitrator may not consolidate or join the claims of other persons or parties who may be similarly situated.  The arbitrator may award in the arbitration the same damages or other relief available under applicable law, including injunctive and declaratory relief, as if the action were brought in court on an individual basis.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing or herein, the arbitrator may not issue a “public injunction” and any such “public injunction” may be awarded only by a federal or state court.  If either party seeks a “public injunction,” all other claims and prayers for relief must be adjudicated in arbitration first and any prayer or claim for a “public injunction” in federal or state court stayed until the arbitration is completed, after which the federal or state court can adjudicate the party’s claim or prayer for “public injunctive relief.”  In doing so, the federal or state court is bound under principles of claim or issue preclusion by the decision of the arbitrator.

If any provision of this Section is found to be invalid or unenforceable, then that specific provision shall be of no force and effect and shall be severed, but the remainder of this Section shall continue in full force and effect.  No waiver of any provision of this Section of the Official Rules will be effective or enforceable unless recorded in a writing signed by the party waiving such a right or requirement.  Such a waiver shall not waive or affect any other portion of this Official Rules.  This Section of the Official Rules will survive the termination of the entrant’s relationship with the Promotion Entities.

THIS SECTION LIMITS CERTAIN RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO MAINTAIN A COURT ACTION, THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL, THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY FORM OF CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE CLAIM, THE RIGHT TO ENGAGE IN DISCOVERY EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN AAA RULES, AND THE RIGHT TO CERTAIN REMEDIES AND FORMS OF RELIEF.  OTHER RIGHTS THAT THE ENTRANT OR THE PROMOTION ENTITIES WOULD HAVE IN COURT ALSO MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN ARBITRATION.