AAO Introduces Video Scholarship Contest
The AAO is sponsoring the "How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest. There will be two winners; each winner will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship.* Funds may be used toward the winners' post-high school educational expenses at a college, university, vocational or technical school.
"Almost every day a patient tells me that orthodontic treatment has made a difference in their lives," said Dr. Robert J. Bray, president of the AAO. "It's the patients themselves who are best at explaining the transformation that orthodontic treatment brings. Here is a fantastic opportunity for young people to create a video chronicle of their experiences, inspire others and have the chance to win a college scholarship. I am looking forward to seeing and hearing how orthodontic patients are helped by what my colleagues and I do every day."
Encourage your patients to tell their stories on video, answering questions such as:
· What were you like before you had orthodontic treatment? How have you changed?
· How proud are you of your new smile?
· When did you notice changes in yourself? What kinds of changes have you noticed?
· What does your new smile mean to you?
· What would you say to others whose smiles make them self-conscious?
The "How Orthodontics Changed My Life" video contest is open to students who are legal residents of the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and Canada, who are 18 years of age or younger as of June 1, 2010 and who have had, or are having, orthodontic treatment by a member of the AAO. The contestant should be in the active retention phase of treatment or have completed active retention.
Contest guidelines provide instructions to contestants on submitting their videos. Videos are to be submitted on DVDs or USB flash drives, which should be mailed to:
Linda Gladden
Director of Communications and Marketing
American Association of Orthodontists
401 N. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63141
All video entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2010.
Each entrant must include a signed release form (see the contest guidelines) with his or her video. Videos submitted should be two minutes in length or less. Entries are limited to one per person. There is no fee to enter.
The 10 finalists and two scholarship winners will be selected by AAO communications staff and a team of AAO members serving on the Association's Council on Communications.
By June 15, 2010, the 10 finalist videos will be posted at the AAO Web site, Braces.org, and on the specialty Web site, AAOinfo.org. The two winners will be announced by July 1, 2010. The contest guidelines provide additional information. In addition to being
attached here, the guidelines are available at
Braces.org.
*
All federal, state and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Additional terms and conditions apply. Please review the contest guidelines for more information.
