Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Red Lobster Ocean Sustainability Challenge (RLOSC)?
The RLOSC asks students to dream up innovative and sustainable solutions to address problems affecting our valuable oceans, helping to preserve the planet’s waters for future generations. The Challenge inspires young innovators to explore their capabilities and imagination, strengthen their STEAM skills, and prepare to tackle today’s challenges facing the ocean and tomorrow’s opportunities.

What Is the Timeline?
  • February 5th, 2025: Challenge opens
  • March 28, 2025: Submissions due
  • April 16, 2025: Top 20 Teams notified
  • April 21 - May 2, 2025: Crowd voting
  • May 5, 2025: Winners announced

What Are the Rules and Guidelines?
To participate in the RLOSC, all Student Teams must first read and comply with the Official Rules.

Is the RLOSC Open to Anyone?
The RLOSC is open to all middle school students within the United States, ages 11-13, in grades 6-8. Employees, consultants, and contractors of Red Lobster, and each of their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies and their immediate families (i.e., parents, spouse, children, siblings, grandparents, step parents, step children, and step siblings) are ineligible.

Can a Student Team Be from Different Schools?
No. A team must all attend the same middle school. The only exception is if a student is home-schooled.

How Many Students Can Be on a Team?
One (1) to five (5) students per team.

How Does a Student Team Get Started?
Student Teams are required to submit their video through a representative at least 18 years old to participate in the RLOSC. The adult representative can fill out the info for each team member and submit the Student Team’s video up until the Submission deadline.

When Is the Video Submission Period?
Video Submission opens 9:00am PT on February 5th, 2025 and ends at 11:59pm PT on March 28, 2025.

How Does a Student Team Submit a Video?
An adult representative must submit the Student Team’s video. Before they submit the video, they will need to register and complete the verification forms on the website.

Why Does an Adult Need to Represent a Student Team?
In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, parental or legal guardian consent is needed for any person under the age of 13 years to give personal information to a third party over the internet. In the case of our RLOSC, all Student Teams’ parents or legal guardians will need to act as the team’s adult representative and grant consent for us to receive their entry, including those over 13 years of age.

How Do the Student Teams Present Their Idea?
All Student Teams will need to create a video no more than three (3) minutes about their solution.

What Is the RLOSC Asking Student Teams to Do in the Video?
Please review the official rules. Remember, the judges reviewing videos won't necessarily know the research; therefore, it’s important to be as clear as possible. The ideal video should:
  • Clearly explain the problem oceans and waterways face
  • Clearly explain the recommended solution to the problem
  • Clearly explain how the solution works
  • Clearly show how STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) was used to develop the solution
  • Clearly explain the impact

What Are the Guidelines for the Video Submission?
  • Videos that include student’s first and last names, physical addresses, school names, or any other identifying information will be immediately disqualified from further consideration.
  • The video and the "script" (wording and presentation) must be original. The video could have been entered to another Challenge previously.
  • If the video is taken by a third party, you must have secured all rights and clearances to the video from the third party.
  • The video cannot contain any music or any identifiable background images (posters, logo shirts, objects with brand names, identifiable brand products, etc.).
  • Materials, products, and other objects used in the video should have their brand names obscured.
  • The video cannot contain materials displaying copyrighted images, names, likenesses, photographs, or anything else that identifies any person, living or dead, without permission.
  • The video cannot defame, misrepresent, or contain disparaging remarks about people or companies.
  • The video cannot be obscene or offensive, endorse any form of hate or hate group, or be derogatory to any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional, or age group.
  • The video cannot communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill with which Red Lobster wishes to associate.
  • The video cannot depict illegal activity and cannot itself be in violation of any law.
  • The video may not include images of a known celebrity, famous or well known person, or any image that violates the right of privacy or publicity of any person.
  • The video cannot be more than three (3) minutes in length.

Can Student Teams Submit More Than One Video?
No, Student Teams can only submit one video.

Can a Student Team Submit a Video from Another Challenge?
Yes, a video submitted from prior Challenges are eligible as long as it meets the criteria.

How Long Should the Video Be?
The video cannot be more than three (3) minutes in length.

Where Does the Adult Representative Upload the Video?
The adult representative of the Student Team must first create a registered user account at www.youtube.com and agree to all applicable terms at that site. There is no fee or charge to become a registered user of YouTube. YouTube is not a sponsor of the RLOSC, nor does it endorse or administer the Challenge. Here is how you upload your video on YouTube:
  • Sign in to YouTube. If you don't already have an account, create one by clicking the button in the upper right of the screen.
  • Click the Upload button at the top right of the page.
  • Before you start uploading the video you can choose the video privacy settings. For the purpose of the RLOSC, please choose Unlisted.
  • Select the video you'd like to upload from your computer.
  • As the video is uploading you can edit both the basic information and the advanced settings of the video.
  • Click Done to finish the upload.
  • If you haven’t clicked Publish, your video won’t be viewable by other people. You can always publish your video at a later time in your Video Manager.
  • Copy the link in the browser and paste it in the Video Submission page on www.redlobsterblueocean.com.
  • When filling out the description of your video, please limit your explanation to six words.

Can Submitted Videos Be Updated?
Yes, adult representatives can log into their account and add a new video link to their saved entry prior to the submission deadline. Once a new link has been provided, the new link will overwrite the old link associated with the adult representative’s account.

How Will the Video Be Judged?
The video does NOT need to be "produced" or have high production value. Judges are not evaluating production skills. Entries that follow all of the rules and regulations will be ranked based on the average of scores awarded by an expert panel of judges using the following rubric:
  • Creativity (ingenuity and innovative thinking) (30%)
  • Potential Impact (30%)
  • STEAM Knowledge (20%)
  • Feasibility (20%)

How and When Do Student Teams Find Out if They Are Semi-Finalists?
Once the entry submission window closes (11:59pm PT on March 28, 2025), the submissions will be scored. The adult representatives of the 20 Student Teams with the highest scores will be contacted via a phone call and/or email on or about April 16, 2025 to verify their status as a semi-finalist team.

What Is the Crowd Voting Component?
The top 20 videos as determined by the judges will be displayed online for the public to vote on their favorite submission.

How Will the Winning Student Teams Be Determined?
The Student Teams with the top five (5) scores (a combination of judges’ score (70%) and crowd vote (30%)) will be selected as winners.

How Many Winning Student Teams Will There Be?
There will be one (1) Grand Prize Team and four (4) Runner-Up Teams.

Who Are the Judges?
There will be two separate expert panels of judges. The first-round panel of judges will select the semi-final teams by reviewing the submitted videos and scoring them based on a provided rubric. The second-round panel of judges will select one (1) Grand Prize winning team and four (4) Runner-Up Teams by reviewing the submitted videos and scoring them based on a provided rubric.

What Are the Prizes?
Each team member and a chaperone on the Grand Prize team will receive an all-expenses paid trip to California featuring fun ocean-themed activities for each. Every member of the Grand Prize team and four (4) Runner-Up Teams will receive a trophy, a STEAM kit, and free enrollment to the 2025 FIRST program of your choice. The school with the Grand Prize Team will receive $1,000 in science supplies.

Still Have More Questions?
Most questions can be answered by reading the Official Rules. Any additional questions can be emailed to support@lollipoplabs.com.