Students from Fremont, Newark and Union City are invited to produce a 30-second video about water. The “WaterClips Student Video Contest” is hosted by Alameda County Water District (ACWD). Middle and high school students from grades six to 12 are invited to participate in the contest. Winners can receive up to $500.
There will be three middle school winners and three high school winners. High school teachers who sponsor a student’s video can win a classroom scholarship if their student wins.
The topic this year is how water influences or supports your health and wellness. The contest started in October, but every minute counts. When talking about the March 13 at 11:59pm video contest deadline, ACWD public affairs specialist Renee Gonzales laughed and said, “I get a lot of videos within that last hour.”
The rules are no AI and no video templates. Gonzales said they will be able to tell if they see any of these elements on video entries. “We want the students to be original in what they do and what they create,” she said. “That’s the challenge for them, how can they authentically create that video that’s representative of the topic.”
Courtesy of ACWD
Courtesy of ACWD
Courtesy of ACWD
A special awards ceremony and reception for the winners and honorable mentions will take place in Fremont Downtown Event Center on April 30. The panel of judges will include industry experts that work in local government, entertainment and news.
At the ceremony, winners can meet the industry experts who saw their video. “It kind of validates their work,” Gonzales said. “The students put a lot of time and effort into this. It’s not an easy subject. You really have to take the time to think it through, create that storyboard and make it authentic, creative and really communicate that message in a way that will resonate with the judges.”
Winners will be able to see their winning video at local movie theatres several weeks later. They will show at a Tri-City theater before the feature films. Gonzales said winners will receive movie tickets during that time so they can see their video on the big screen.
Gonzales said the ACWD staff looks forward to the contest every year. “It’s honestly one of the highlights for the Alameda County Water District because we love working with students, and it’s an opportunity for them to stop and think about, ‘Hey, where does my water come from, what is its impact on my life?’”
Students can submit their video to: acwd.org/715/WaterClips-Student-Video-Contest-2026.
