1 . Participating in art competitions is essential for students to gain formal recognition and impress college admission officers. Today, we have a list of art competitions on regional, national, and international scales.

EarthX Eco-Art Competition

It invites young artists aged 5-22 to create 2-D or 3-D art that illustrates the theme: Protectors for the Planet. The theme can be interpreted in various ways, including individuals taking action towards a more sustainable planet, or highlighting the efforts of environmental leaders working to sustain ecosystems.

Deadline: March 8, 2024

The Children’s Drawing Contest

Sponsored by International Certification Organization Network, the contest, whose theme this year is “Passing on Our Precious Earth to The Future”, invites children aged 7-15 worldwide to draw the kind of natural environment they would like to live in. 48 winners will receive special memorabilia. All entrants will receive a participation prize. Medium: Drawings with any type of paint, pastel, etc.

Deadline: May 31, 2024

Science without Borders Challenge

The competition is open to children and young people under the age of 16. We welcome entries from both groups and individuals to create art to promote public awareness of the need to preserve, protect, and restore nature. The theme is “The Sixth Extinction” and you can focus on the protection of endangered species. Acceptable media include paint, pencil, marker, crayon, ink, felt, and oil pastel.

Deadline: March 4, 2024

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the longest-running literary and art competition in the US, provides opportunities and academic awards for creative young people to express their talent. The theme this year is “Tell Your Climate Story”. Students in the 9th to 12th grades can submit poetry, fiction and nonfiction to show their understanding of environmental issues.

Deadline: June 10, 2024

3 . Guangdong Dongpo Paper, a paper company in Guangdong Province, China, recently made international headlines for replacing its traditional performance-based employee bonus scheme with another one. To promote a healthy lifestyle among its 100 employees, management decided to reward them based on how much they exercise. For example, an employee will be eligible for a full monthly bonus if they run 50km a month. They will get 60 percent of the bonus for running 40km, and 30 percent for 30km. Running enthusiasts may stand to get up to an 30% bonus if they can prove they ran over 100km in a single month.

“My business can only endure if my employees are healthy,” said Dongpo Paper boss, Lin Zhiyong, adding that he spent the last three years encouraging his employees to enjoy sports and fitness.

The distance run by every employee is tracked by an app on their phones, which also takes into account activities like mountain hiking and speed walking, which can account for 60 and 30 percent respectively of the total exercise required. The program has proven a great success, and Lin Zhiyong himself somewhat of an exercise enthusiast, claims that all employees qualify to get the full bonus.

According to Chinese media, Dongpo Paper employees couldn’t be happier with the new bonus structure, claiming that the company now allows them to “kill two birds with one stone” as they “can get both health and money.” But while the new policy has been getting generally positive feedback online, some netizens it can lead to discrimination.

“The intention of the company’s policy is good but it should take into consideration any existing health issues among its employees,” one person commented online, asking what the policy is for employees who are at risk of heart attacks or are otherwise unable to meet the bonus requirements.

Others accused Guangdong Dongpo Paper of putting its employees’ health at risk by setting very high bonus thresholds for them. Some netizens believe that employees could ruin their knees by chasing these goals.

7 . The 19th Asian Games was held in Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang Province from September 23 to October 8, 2023.

The Asian Games is the largest sporting event in Asia. Its predecessor (前身) was the Far Eastern Games. In 1948, Guru Dutt Sondhi, the leader of Indian sports, felt that the Far Eastern Games were not good enough to reflect the level of Asian sports and the unity spirit of Asian people, and suggested establishing the Asian Games so that all Asian countries could participate.

The Hangzhou Asian Games is the third Asian multi-sport event held in China, with 12,417 athletes from all 45 Asian countries and regions participating. Some rising sports that have recently gone viral among young people made their first appearance at this year’s Games, such as break dance and e-sports. Weiqi, a mind sport, has returned to the Hangzhou Games after a 13-year absence since it appeared at the Guangzhou Games in 2010. Certain regional sports in Asia, especially dragon boat racing, kurash, and sepak takraw, though not recognized as Olympic sports, were medal-awarded events at the Asian Games.

In the lead-up to the sporting event, the design details of the victory ceremony elements, including bouquets (花束), trays, and podiums, were revealed. The bouquet, named “Fruits of Victory”, blends traditional Chinese elements such as rice ears and lotus pods, signifying fruitful harvests, and wishes the athletes a journey of accomplishment and honor. The medal tray’s design is inspired by the ripples of the West Lake and describes the elegance of lakes and hills. The podium sports a purple rainbow on its outside, reflecting energy and innovation (创新). Its surface, painted in white, shows the spirit of unity, harmony and mutual success among Asian nations and regions.

With the Games fully prepared by organizers, it has surely impressed all the athletes and participants, leaving a legacy (遗产) of a smart and green event for people.