High school students across Oregon are invited to participate in a media contest aimed at enhancing workplace safety for young workers, particularly focusing on heat illness prevention. Organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]), the contest encourages participants to create impactful visual advertisements—either graphic designs or videos—that will resonate with teen workers. The goal is to promote the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division’s (Oregon OSHA) online course on heat illness prevention, vital for safeguarding young workers, especially during the summer months.
The contest is currently open for submissions, with participants tasked to convey key messages that effectively capture the attention of their peers. The target audience includes not only teenagers currently in the workforce but also those preparing for their first jobs. Each entry can take the form of a graphic design or a video, with the latter limited to a maximum length of 90 seconds.
Participants are encouraged to select their themes and taglines thoughtfully, ensuring the use of constructive and positive language. The top three entries in each media category stand to win cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500. Additionally, the first-place winners’ schools, clubs, or organizations will receive matching awards, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the contest.
The O[yes] Coalition plans to utilize the best submissions as part of its ongoing initiative to enhance the safety and health protections for young workers. While developing their projects, participants must prioritize the health and safety of all team members, ensuring that no one is placed at risk in the process of creating their entries.
The deadline for submissions is set for 5 p.m. on January 30, 2026. Participants are required to submit their entries online. For further details regarding the entry forms, contest rules, and resources, including previous winners, interested individuals can visit the O[yes] online contest page.
This initiative is supported by various organizations, including local chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, the Construction Safety Summit, and the SafeBuild Alliance, among others.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division plays a crucial role in enforcing workplace safety and health regulations in the state, striving to improve conditions for all workers. It operates under the Department of Consumer and Business Services, which is Oregon’s largest agency for consumer protection and business regulation.
The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries and fatalities among young workers. Its members include safety professionals, educators, employers, and industry regulators, all working collaboratively to promote safety in the workplace. More information can be found on their website at youngemployeesafety.org.