Streets, Art, SAFE
Film Competition
Learn, Create, Advocate
Competition Details and Resources
NEW Office Hours!
Have questions about the competition? Need help with registration, research steps, or your project? Drop in to our weekly Office Hours and get the support you need!
🗓 Wednesdays at 12:00-1:00 pm & 4:00-5:00 pm (PT)
⏳ Come and go as you like—ask questions, get guidance.
2025/26 Competition Schedule
Competition Schedule
August 2025
18 August - Webinar to launch the 2025/26 season!
18 August - Registration opens.
September 2025
4 September - Mentoring opens.
23 September - Webinar: How to Make Award-Winning Public Service Announcements.
October 2025
18 October - San Diego AAA Dare to Prepare In-Person Workshop
16 October - Webinar: The Power of Posters: The Art of Visual Persuasion
25 October - Newport Beach AAA Dare to Prepare In-Person Workshop
November 2025
15 November - San Diego AAA Dare to Prepare In-Person Workshop
December 2025
1 December - Competition opens for final submissions.
15 December - Registration closes (Note: This is only the registration deadline. Final submissions are due in January.)
January 2026
17 January - Mentoring closes
23 January - Final submissions close
28 January - Judging begins
February 2026
20 February - Competition Nominees announced
20 February - Regional Award Winners announced
March 2026
21 March - Red carpet Streets, Art, SAFE Awards Ceremony at LA Center Studios
Competition Details
Students are tasked with:
Selecting a topic from a list of traffic safety and transportation topics.
Writing a treatment for their PSA and then submitting their registration to the competition.
Researching their chosen topic.
Writing a script and storyboard.
Producing their PSA!
All while making sure they are following the rules and guidelines of the competition
How Many PSAs Can Each School and/or Student Team Submit?
Students are put into teams by their teachers to work on their PSA. Each student team has the option to submit up to 3 PSAs - 1 PSA for each category as follows:
The PSA made based on their chosen street safety/transportation topic.
Street Racing Kills Special Award
The Impaired Driving Awareness Special Award.
Students can only submit their PSA(s) as part of 1 student team, not compete in multiple teams. However, a school can submit as many PSAs as they want based on the amount of student teams they have.
Note: Students can participate as individual filmmakers, but we recommend that they work in teams.
Submitting Completed PSA Films
Before the competition opens for final submissions, the closing graphics and the final submission form will be sent to registered teachers and their student teams.
Competition Resources - Mentoring and Opportunities
Educator’s Guide
There is a full Educator’s Guide for film competition participants to walk teachers and students through each step of making a PSA.
Mentoring
Students can take advantage of mentoring from industry professionals at every stage of their work—whether it’s the script, storyboard, or PSA rough edit.
Mentoring for the 2025/26 school year opens on September 4. The form will be sent to registered teachers and their student teams and will also be posted on this website.
Student Educational Opportunities
We set up optional educational activities throughout the competition season, such as webinars, workshops, and excursions. We call these Student Opportunities.
Awards Categories and Judging Criteria
Awards Categories
There are several categories in which a PSA can win an award. Students should know what they are so they know what awards they are eligible for or, in the case of Special Award Categories, which they want to register for specifically.
Special Awards Categories
The film competition has Special Awards Categories - with their own cash prizes:
The Street Racing Kills Special Award, sponsored by Street Racing Kills.
The Impaired Driving Awareness Special Award, sponsored by AAA.
Any school or student team is eligible to submit for these awards. This means that student teams can have up to 3 PSAs submitted if they want:
The PSA made based on their chosen street safety/transportation topic
Street Racing Kills Special Award category
The Impaired Driving Awareness Special Award.
Judging Criteria
Judges review student’s final PSAs using specific criteria. Read up on what these are so students take these into account while making them.
Awards and Prizes
Two Stages of the Competition
What Are the Two Stages?
The competition is judged in two stages, with awards given at each stage:
Regional contests: PSAs are judged and awarded by region (usually divided by county) in each category.
Final awards: The best of the best from all PSAs submitted are honored at the annual Red Carpet Streets, Art, SAFE Awards Ceremony.
How the Awards Work:
Winning PSAs of the regional contests will have their certificates and trophies delivered to their schools.
The overall top winners of the competition are honored at the live red-carpet Streets, Art, SAFE Awards Ceremony (SAS Awards), which is open to all participating schools.
Awards, Trophies, Prizes and Acknowledgements
The Grand Prize-winning teams and Special Awards Category-winning teams, including the sponsoring teacher, are acknowledged with a special trophy and grants for the school’s Art Department and/or awards to the student teams.
Technical Awards and Best PSA Awards are acknowledged with trophies.
Students who submitted PSAs for final judging are presented with a certificate acknowledging the accomplishment of their creative endeavor and congratulating them for being a finalist.
Have Questions?
Still have questions? We’re happy to help. Reach out to us at S_A_S@StreetsAreForEveryone.org or call us at (844) 884-7233, extension. 804.