2024 Pearson HBCU Trailblazer Contest

(“Contest”)

OFFICIAL RULES

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THESE OFFICIAL RULES BEFORE ENTERING THE CONTEST.

BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE OFFICIAL RULES.  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER AND WIN.   MAKING A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

1. CONTEST OVERVIEW.  Contest is a contest through which entrants can participate for an opportunity to win the prize(s) below, subject to the terms and conditions specified in these Official Rules (the “Official Rules”).

2. CONTEST PERIOD.  The Contest entry period begins on October 3, 2024 at 12:00 pm E.T. and continues through and until November 11, 2024 at 11:59 pm E.T. (“Contest Period”).

3. HOW TO ENTER.    The eligible individual who enters a Submission (as defined below) will be referred to herein as “Entrant.”   All Entrants must comply with the Official Rules.  Each Entrant’s Submission must comply with the following:

A.   Create and upload a 1 minute minimum - 2 minute maximum publicly viewable video discussing why you chose your HBCU, the cultural significance of HBCUs, the role HBCUs play in higher education to a YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Vimeo account (“Entry Video”)

B.    Fully complete and submit the submission form available at https://www.pearson.com/en-us/higher-education/forms/trail-blazer-contest.html (“Submission Form”) during the Contest Period.

The Entry Video and Submission Form together shall be deemed a “Submission”. An Entrant may only submit one (1) Submission in the Contest.

Submissions must conform to the guidelines and instructions specified by Sponsor, including below in section 7.A of these Official Rules. As determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, Entrant’s submission must be suitable for display and publication on the internet.  As determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, Entrant’s submission may not be obscene or indecent, obtain defamatory statements, or include threats to any person, place, business, group, or socioeconomic group, or threats to any person, place or business, must not invade privacy or other rights or a person, firms or entity and it must not violate any laws, regulations or terms of use. Entrant’s submission may not include any clothing containing any visible logos, drawings, cartoons, phrases, trademarks or other third-party content or materials. Incomplete entries, or those containing incorrect information will be voided. Submissions must not contain or reference any third party names, trademarks, or logos, including your HBCU name, logos, etc. Entrant understands that by submitting the Submission the Entrant is accepting the terms of these Official Rules and agreeing to be bound by them.

By entering the Contest and submitting a Submission for entry into the Contest, each Entrant grants to Sponsor an irrevocable, royalty free, fully paid up, worldwide non-exclusive license under the Entrants’ copyrights or other intellectual property rights to use, review, access, and otherwise analyze the Submissions and all their content in connection with the Contest.  Sponsor shall be free to use for any purpose in any and all media now known or hereinafter developed in any territory in perpetuity the residuals resulting from access to or with Entrants’ Submissions. The term “residuals” means information in intangible form, which is retained in memory by persons who have had access to the Submissions, including ideas, concepts, know-how, or techniques contained therein. Sponsor shall not have any obligation to limit or restrict the assignment of such persons or to pay royalties for any work resulting from the use of residuals.

4. SPONSOR.  The Contest is sponsored by Pearson Education, Inc. (the “Sponsor”)

5. ELIGIBILITY.  This Contest is open only to undergraduate students currently enrolled at Delaware State University, Morgan State University, Virginia State University, Prairie View A&M University, or Fayetteville State University (each, an “Eligible University”) and who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia. Entrants must have reached the age of 18 at the time of entry. Void in all jurisdictions other than those stated above and where prohibited or restricted by law. The following individuals are not eligible to enter or win a prize: employees of Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates, advertising and promotional agencies, and their immediate family members (parent, child, sibling, spouse) and all persons living in the same household of each such individual. All entry information and Submissions shall be deemed collected and judged in the United States.

6. PRIZE.  The following prize(s) will be awarded to the winner(s).

Number	Prize	Approximate Retail Value
5	$500	$500

The total ARV of all prizes is $2,500.

7. JUDGING CRITERIA; CONTEST PRIZES; AWARD OF CONTEST PRIZES

One (1) winner(s) from each Eligible University will be selected for a total of 5 winner(s) by judges on February 26, 2025. 

A. Judging Criteria.  For all Submissions a voting period will take place beginning on November 12, 2024 and ending on February 8, 2025 (“Voting Period”). During the Voting Period, eligible Submissions received during the Contest Period will be judged by the initial and executive committees chosen by Sponsor, in its sole discretion, based on the following criteria:

a. Choice of HBC (15%): Pearson wants to know why you chose your HBCU

b. HBCUs as Pillars of Academic Excellence (15%): Discuss the role of HBCUs in higher education with strong examples of contributions or innovations.

c. Cultural Significance of HBCUs (30%): Explain some of the cultural impact of HBCUS by sharing examples and personal anecdotes.

d. Presentation and Engagement (25%): How engaging, well structured, and clearly communicated is the video?

e. Creativity & Originality (10%): How creative, original, and interesting is the video?

f. Application (5%): Entrant completed all sections of the application without grammatical errors or using abbreviations.

Each Submission will be reviewed by the initial committee, followed by the executive committee for final selection.  Submission by a committee of its judging criteria to Entrants shall be at the committees’ reasonable discretion and, as to elements of the judging criteria involving matters of subjectivity, at the committees’ sole discretion. The committees’ decisions are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. THE ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE ENTRIES RECEIVED DURING THE CONTEST PERIOD.

B. Award of prizes. Potential winners (each a “Winner”) will be notified by February 8, 2025 via an email. Winners are not required to be present to win. Potential winners must respond promptly with their contact information in accordance with the terms of the notification. The failure to respond timely to the notification will result in forfeiture of the prize and Sponsor may award the prize to an alternative Winner, at its sole discretion. In addition, Winners will be announced by February 26 2025 via Pearson Higher Education’s social media sites: LinkedIn (Pearson Higher Education), Facebook (Pearson Higher Education) and X (@PearsonNorthAm).

The Winner Notice will include information on how the winners can claim their prize.  The Winner Notice will also include a copy of an Acceptance Form and Liability/Publicity or Release, together with any other required documents.  Within 10 days of receipt of the Winner Notice, the Winner will be required to sign, notarize (if applicable), and return to Sponsor the Acceptance Form and Liability/Publicity or Release.  The Winner must provide their full name, mailing address (may not be a PO Box), phone number, social security number (if required) in the Acceptance Form and Liability/Publicity or Release.  Failure by the Winner or any other party to sign, notarize (if applicable), and return the Acceptance Form and Liability/Publicity or Release within the time requested may result in forfeiture of a prize.  The Acceptance Form and Liability/Publicity Release is null and void if incomplete, illegible or if it contains errors.

Any costs or expenses associated with the acceptance and use of the prize, not explicitly stated in these Official Rules as Sponsor’s responsibility, are the sole responsibility of the Winner.  All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion.  Acceptance or use of a prize is at the Winner’s own risk. prizes are non-transferable, no substitutions, exchanges or cash equivalent allowed, except by Sponsor due to unavailability, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded.

8. GENERAL CONTEST TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. Submissions; Verification/Audit; Entrant Cooperation.  All activity arising out of and relating to the Contest is subject to verification and/or auditing for compliance with the Official Rules, and Entrants agree to reasonably cooperate with Sponsor concerning verification and/or auditing.  In the event that Contest verification activity or an audit evidences non-compliance with the Official Rules, as determined in Sponsor’s reasonable discretion, an Entrant’s continuing participation in any aspect of the Contest may be suspended or terminated.  No responsibility is assumed for information not received from Entrants.

B. Rule Compliance Interpretation; Adjudication and Remedial Process.  Sponsor reserves the right to make all decisions, in its discretion, arising out of or relating to instances of suspected abuse, fraud, error or anomalies in the operation and/or administration of the Contest or any other interpretation, activity or suspected violation relating to the Contest, the Official Rules and such decisions by Sponsor are final and binding.

By entering the Contest, Entrants consent to the use of their names, Submissions and any statements they make in connection with the Contest or about Sponsor in general without additional consideration or compensation, except where prohibited by law.  Sponsor may request, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, that an Entrant and/or winner provide any of the foregoing information to Sponsor. Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of Entrant(s) and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of United States.

Except where prohibited, each Entrant agrees that:  (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Contest, or any benefits received, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and any judicial proceeding shall take place in a federal or state court; (2) any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with participating in the Contest, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will a Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, and consequential damages, and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. If an Entrant is a California resident, such Entrant hereby waives California Civil Code Section 1542, which states: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.”

C. Warranties / Disclaimers.  Prizes are awarded “AS IS”.  Sponsor and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies and their distributors, advertising, public relations, media, contest and judging representatives, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) expressly disclaim any and all warranties of any kind (whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise), including but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.  Released Parties shall not be liable or responsible for those guarantees or warranties made or offered by advertisers, partners, manufacturers or suppliers, including those relating to the prizes.  Under no circumstances shall any Released Party be held responsible or liable for an Entrant’s use of the information and/or products provided and/or made available through the Contest or for errors or anomalies resulting in the unintended or erroneous participation, award of prizes or other benefits under the Contest to Entrants.  Released Parties offer no assurances, guarantees or warranties that the Contest or Contest Websites will be uninterrupted or error-free and does not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of any information obtained through the Contest.  Released Parties assume no responsibility for any computer-related damages due to downloading materials.  Released Parties will not be liable, and are not responsible, for damages of any kind related to an Entrant’s participation or inability to participate in the Contest, whether the damages are direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential.  Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages; therefore, the above limitations or exclusions may not apply.

Further, by participating in the Contest and/or accepting the prize, Entrant agrees that Released Parties shall not be liable for, and will be held harmless by Entrant against, any liability for any damage, injury or loss to person (including death) or property due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the prize, participation in any contest prize-related activity, use of any tendered Submission or participation in the Contest.

Released Parties will not be responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information regardless of cause.  If for any reason (including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause that corrupts or affects the administration, operation, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest), the Contest is not capable of being conducted as described in these Official Rules, Sponsor shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. In the event the Contest is cancelled, Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, select the winners from among all eligible and non-suspect validated entries received for each category up the time of such action.

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant who has tampered with the entry process or the operation of the Contest, or who has acted in violation of these Official Rules or any applicable state, federal, or local laws or regulations, or is acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other person.

This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Vimeo. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding this Contest should be directed to Sponsors. Each Entrant further agrees to release YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Vimeo from any and all liability associated with this Contest or receipt or use of any prizes.

D. Indemnification.  Entrants agree to release, defend, indemnify and hold harmless Released Parties from and against, any liability, claims, losses, damages or proceedings, (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) relating to any actions taken by Entrant.  Entrant also agrees to release, defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from any and all liability, claims, losses, damages or proceedings, including but not limited for death (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) relating to prizes and any other matter in connection with an Entrant’s participation in the Contest or Sponsor’s or its designees.

E. Privacy Policy.  Please see Sponsor’s privacy policy located at https://www.pearson.com/en-us/legal-information/privacy-policy.html for details of Sponsor’s policy regarding the use of personal information collected in connection with the Contest.

F. Winner’s Consent.  Permission is specifically granted by each Entrant for Sponsor and its designees to promote entries, including winning entries, in perpetuity in any medium now or hereafter known it may see fit including, but not limited to, website, television, radio and/or printed materials. If you are not willing to allow Sponsor and its designees to reproduce and publish your Submission as Sponsor and its designees see fit, including but not limited to use in advertising and promotional materials, you should not enter the Contest. 

G. Tax Consequences.  Federal, state, and local taxes and all other costs and expenses associated with acceptance and use of a prize not specified herein as being awarded are Winners’ sole responsibility for payment and reporting. 

H. Official Rules: Copies of the Official Rules may be obtained on this webpage.

I. Winner List. Winners will be announced via Pearson Higher Education social media sites: LinkedIn (Pearson Higher Education), Facebook (Pearson Higher Education) and X (@PearsonNorthAm).

J. If Participant is an employee of a public school/government agency:  Receipt of the prize may be restricted by additional laws, rules, and regulations, and may be restricted by the written policy, if any, of the potential Winner’s employer.  If selected as a Winner, the Winner will be required to return a no conflict of interest certification to be signed by the school district/government agency employer (if applicable) in which the employer will confirm: (i) its awareness that Entrant has been selected as a potential Winner in the Contest; (ii) Entrant’s acceptance of the prize will not violate any conflict of interest or other rules, regulations or laws applicable to their employer; and (iii) Sponsor’s grant of the prize and Entrant’s acceptance of the prize will not violate any existing agreement or contract between Sponsor and Entrant’s employer or affect Sponsor’s right to bid on or enter into any contract with Entrant’s employer.

K. No Waiver; Severability: Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. If any provision of these Official Rules is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck, and the remaining provisions shall be enforced.

The Contest and all accompanying materials are Copyright © 2024 by Pearson Education, Inc.

2024 Pearson HBCU Trailblazer Contest

(“Contest”)

Official RULES

1. CONTEST OVERVIEW. Contest is a contest through which entrants can participate for an opportunity to win the prize(s) below, subject to the terms and conditions specified in the Official Rules (the “Official Rules”).

2. HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

The eligible individual who submits a Submission (as defined below) will be referred to herein as “Entrant.”   All Entrants must comply with the Official Rules.  Each Entrant’s Submission must comply with the following:

A.   Create and upload a 1 minute minimum - 2 minute maximum publicly viewable video discussing why you chose your HBCU, the cultural significance of HBCUs and the role HBCUs play in higher education to a YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Vimeo account (“Entry Video”) and

B.    Fully complete and submit the submission form available at https://www.pearson.com/en-us/higher-education/forms/trail-blazer-contest.html (“Submission Form”) during the Contest Period.  

The Entry Video and Submission Form together shall be deemed a “Submission”. An Entrant may only submit one (1) Submission in the Contest.

3. CONTEST PERIOD. The Contest entry period begins on October 3, 2024 at 12:00 pm E.T. and continues through and until – November 11th, 2024 at 11:59 PM E.T.

4. SPONSOR. The Contest is sponsored by Pearson Education, Inc (collectively, “Sponsor”).

5. PRIZES. Sponsor will award each prize indicated below to contest winners, subject to the Official Rules. 

Number	Prize	Approximate Retail Value
5	$500	$2,500

The total ARV of all prizes is $2,500.

6. JUDGING CRITERIA; AWARD OF CONTEST PRIZES

1 winner(s) from each Eligible University will be selected for a total of 5 winner(s) by judges on February 26, 2025. 

For all submissions a voting period will take place beginning on November 12, 2024 and ending on February 8, 2025. THE ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE ENTRIES RECEIVED DURING THE CONTEST PERIOD.   

Potential winners will be notified by email on February 8, 2025 (each, a “Winner”) and must respond promptly with their contact information. The failure to respond timely to the notification may result in forfeiture of the prize and Sponsor may award the Prize to an alternative entrant, at its sole discretion. Each winner must complete and return a signed Acceptance Form and Liability/Publicity or Release.

Eligible contest Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria:

a. Choice of HBCU (15%): Pearson wants to know why you chose your HBCU.

b. HBCUs as Pillars of Academic Excellence (15%): Discuss the role of HBCUs in higher education with strong examples of contributions or innovations.

c. Cultural Significance of HBCUs (30%): Explain some of the cultural impact of HBCUS by sharing examples and personal anecdotes.

d. Presentation and Engagement (25%): How engaging, well structured, and clearly communicated is the video?

e. Creativity & Originality (10%): How creative, original, and interesting is the video?

f.  Application (5%): Entrant completed all sections of the application without grammatical errors or using abbreviations.

7. ELIGIBILITY. This Contest is open only to undergraduate students currently enrolled at Delaware State University, Morgan State University, Virginia State University, Prairie View A&M University, or Fayetteville State University (each, an “Eligible University”) and who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia. Entrants must have reached the age of 18 at the time of entry. Void in all jurisdictions other than those stated above and where prohibited or restricted by law. The following individuals are not eligible to enter or win a prize: employees of Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates, advertising and promotional agencies, and their immediate family members (parent, child, sibling, spouse) and all persons living   in the same household of each such individual. All entry information and Submissions shall be deemed collected and judged in the United States.

8.  OFFICIAL RULES. Entrants may obtain a copy of the Official Rules at https://www.pearson.com/en-us/higher-education/campaigns/trail-blazer-contest-rules.html.

The Contest and all accompanying materials are Copyright © 2024 by Pearson Education, Inc.