Rules
Contest
Write an out-of-this-world space-themed story for children aged 3 to 8.
All stories must be original and must not have been previously published. Stories can be written by one author or a team of authors, at home or in the classroom. Each author or team is allowed one entry.
Here are some key words to inspire you: space, planets, astronauts, International Space Station, rockets, Moon, Sun, stars, galaxies, solar system.
Contest period
The period for submitting a story is from to . All stories must be received by the Canadian Space Agency, on its website, no later than .
Eligibility
The contest is open to all Canadians aged 9 and up.
The contest is divided into three (3) age categories.
- 9 to 12 years old;
- 13 to 15 years old;
- 16 years old and over.
Approval of parents or legal guardian is required for all participants under the age of majority (18 years old in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan; and 19 years old in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Yukon).
Word count
All stories must fall within a minimum and maximum word count according to age category.
| Age category | Word count |
|---|---|
| 9 to 12 years old | 200–400 words |
| 13 to 15 years old | 400–700 words |
| 16 years old and over | 700–1,000 words |
Text format
All stories must be formatted as follows:
- The file must be a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx);
- The file name must include the title of your story and your age category (e.g. "Title_of_my_story - 9-12.doc").
Visuals
Participants are allowed to add a maximum of five (5) original images and/or drawings to accompany their story. The file format must be .jpg or .jpeg.
Submission
Stories can only be submitted online. You must fill out a form when you submit your story. You will receive a confirmation email.
In order to be eligible, submissions must include the following:
- First and last names;
- Age;
- City;
- Phone number;
- Email address (your email address or that of your parents / legal guardian if you are under the age of majority);
- Age category.
This information will be used to contact the winners.
All submissions and accompanying personal information will be destroyed in June 2021.
Winning stories
There will be one (1) winning story in French and one (1) in English per age category. A total of six (6) winning stories will be published on the Canadian Space Agency website in French and in English and could be read by David Saint-Jacques from aboard the International Space Station.
Selection of winners
Winning stories will be selected by a committee composed of five (5) Canadian Space Agency representatives. First, a preselection will be made based on adherence to the contest rules (the story is about space, the word count is appropriate, etc.). Next, the committee will select the winners for each category based on additional criteria, including quality of the writing, coherence, originality and storyline. David Saint-Jacques will then choose his favourite winning story and read it from space during a live event with the author(s).
Winners will be notified by email and phone in .
Copyright
The author(s) must be the original creator(s) of the story and of the accompanying images and/or drawings.
The author(s) will retain the copyright to his/her/their story.
Authors of winning stories will grant the Canadian Space Agency an unlimited non-exclusive licence for utilization, adaptation and distribution of the story and its accompanying images and/or drawings for activities in all online and print media, including social media, in relation to Expedition 58, as well as a waiver of moral rights, without any remuneration being due.
In the event that an audio recording of the story is made (i.e. David Saint-Jacques reading the story aboard the International Space Station), the copyright of the recording will be owned by the Canadian Space Agency.
Acceptance of contest rules
By entering the contest, participants agree to be bound by these rules.
Each participant also agrees that, if he/she is declared a winner, the Canadian Space Agency may use his/her name, age, city of residence and photograph, without compensation, on its website and/or on social media in connection with the contest and with Expedition 58.
The Canadian Space Agency will comply with the federal Access to Information Act and Privacy Act with respect to the stories received. By submitting personal information, an author is consenting to its collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the following privacy statement, which explains how the author’s information will be managed.
Necessary measures have been taken to protect the confidentiality of the information provided by the authors. This information is collected under the authority of the Outreach Activities privacy information bank, and will be used in relation to the Creative Writing Contest and Expedition 58. Personal information (such as contact information and biographical information) included in the submission will be collected and used for two (2) years and then destroyed. These data are protected under the Privacy Act. According to the Privacy Act, an individual has a right to (1) be given access to any personal information about himself/herself; and (2) request correction of the personal information where he/she believes there is an error or omission therein.
Consult the Terms page on the Canadian Space Agency website for additional information on privacy matters.
Disclaimers
The Canadian Space Agency is under no obligation to publish any stories received.
The Canadian Space Agency reserves the right to modify, suspend or cancel the contest for any reason.
Contact us
If you have any question or require additional information, please contact us at info@asc-csa.gc.ca.