The Elks Drug Awareness Video Contest

The contest is open to two age groups, Pre-high school and High School. Participants may be an individual or group, the length of the video should be 2 to 5 minutes in length and on a flash drive or similar “mobile” media in readable format. Please contact your local Elks Lodge for additional information, as some areas might have additional criteria.

The theme for the 2026-2027 contest is: "A Healthy Me Is Drug Free"

Lodges must submit their video entries to their State DAP District Chairperson, not to National. The State Chairperson runs the District and State-level judging and is the only one who submits the State’s winning video(s) to National.
Videos sent directly to the National contest without going through a State Chairperson will not be considered for judging and are not eligible.

Rules

  • The contest is open to two age groups:

    • Pre-High School

    • High School

  • Participants: May be an individual or group

  • Length: 2 to 5 minutes in length

  • Format: Flash Drive or similar "mobile" media in readable format

Judging will be based on the following:

  • Relevance to the contest theme.

  • Presentation neatness.

  • Creativity and originality.

  • Age-appropriateness and suitable language.

  • The positivity of the message conveyed.

  • Overall video quality (clarity, sound, editing).

Each entry must include the following information:

  • Full name of the student(s) or group.

  • School name, location, and grade level.

  • Sponsoring Elks Lodge name.

  • A signed Hold Harmless Agreement.

  • A signed release form for minors, where applicable.

  • USB Flash Drive or similar portable media containing the video.

Due date: Please contact your local Elks Lodge for more details.

Winners: Each Elks Lodge selects its top videos using the judging criteria above. Lodges notify their own winners and are responsible for giving their own awards. The winning videos are then forwarded to District and State-Level Competition, run by the State DAP Chairperson — entries are never sent directly to National.

The State Drug Awareness Committee chooses the State First Place Winner. The State DAP Chairperson is the only person who submits their state’s winning entry into the National Contest, where it may be featured on the Elks Kids Zone Website and/or in ENF and DAP publications.

The national winner in each age category (Pre-High School and High School) receives a $500 Amazon gift card from the Drug Awareness Commission.

All winning entries become the sole property of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and may not be returned — you may want to keep a copy of your video.

Not Eligible: Direct Submissions

Videos submitted directly to National by a Lodge, school, or individual—without going through the State DAP Chairperson—will not be judged and are not eligible for national recognition.