County offering tech grants to schools for creative entries that help normalize mask-wearing.

With many teachers, parents, and students struggling with the changing school re-opening models, the OC Health Care Agency is offering Orange County students a fun, creative contest for them to enter with the chance to win needed technology supplies for their schools. The deadline for submissions is 11:59pm, Thursday, Nov 19.

The “Mask Message Contest” is designed to help elementary, middle, and high school students stay engaged with an independent learning project, while also becoming better informed about the importance of all non-medical means to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, in order to get back to a more normal school year and life.

Students can enter in art, writing, and/or social video categories. A winning mask design will be selected from each of the five Supervisorial Districts and will be produced for students in the winning schools. The winning students’ schools stand to win technology grants of  between $5,000 to $7,000 in each of the 3 categories and in each school level.

“It is critical that we continue to normalize responsible mask-wearing, particularly among our youth,” Vice Chairman Andrew Do, First District, said.

The Mask Message Contest is open to public and private school students as well as charter school students in Orange County.

“We want this contest to be as inclusive as possible,” Dr. Clayton Chau, Director of the OC Health Care Agency and County Health Officer, said. “It is critical that students help to normalize mask- wearing and understand the repercussions of a COVID-19 outbreak in the school system. The last thing we want is to have to close classrooms or schools, quarantine, or have sick classmates and teachers.”

Downloadable Mask Message Contest Toolkits with the contest flyer, entry form, and social media assets are available for anyone to use and share at www.ochealthinfo.com/maskcontest.