DELAWARE ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR AWARENESS BOARD ANNOUNCES 2026 VIDEO SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

NEW CASTLE, DE - Delaware's Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board has announced the start of its 2026 Organ Donor Awareness Video Scholarship Contest open to Delaware high school students. The contest encourages students to learn about organ and tissue donation and share that message with others.

The video public service scholarship contest is open to Delaware students in grades 9 through 12, who are urged to create a one- to two-minute video public service announcement about the importance of organ and tissue donation. As part of their entry, students are encouraged to interview a transplant patient or organ recipient. The deadline for video entries, which will be judged on creativity, accuracy, and positive messaging, is April 3, 2026. Winners in each county will receive a $1,000 first-place scholarship or a $500 second-place scholarship.

To learn more about the contest or to submit entries, go to OrganDonorVidsDE.com.

"Less than half of Delawareans are signed up as organ and tissue donors on their driver's licenses or state IDs," said Jill Fredel, Chair of the Delaware Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board and a kidney donor. "Yet hundreds of Delawareans are waiting for a life-saving or life-changing organ transplant. We can change that dynamic. With National Donate Life Month in April as the backdrop, we want to encourage more young people to say yes to becoming designated donors, a status they are likely to keep for the rest of their lives. Through our scholarship contest, we offer Delaware high school students a way to communicate the importance of organ and tissue donation to other young people."

The 2025 winners were:

New Castle County Winners
- Sarah Voigt, Padua Academy, $1,000 (first-place tie)
- Liza Green, Wilmington Friends School, $1,000 (first-place tie)

Sussex County Winners
- Eric Saavedra, Sussex Central High School, $1,000

Kent County
- No entries received.

To view the first-place videos as a way to be inspired for this year's contest, go to the Division of Public Health's (DPH) YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@depublichealth. The direct link to Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board Scholarship Contest playlist is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa4FoSJ0N820_Zseuu6Zj6XA8NZLI6xU4.

The video scholarship contest is organized by the Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board, with support from DPH, the Delaware Department of Education, and Gift of Life, a regional donor program that serves Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and promotes the value of organ and tissue donations.

To register to become a designated organ and tissue donor in Delaware, visit a local Division of Motor Vehicles location or register online at https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/other/index.shtml?dc=dr_oth_organ.

The Delaware Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Board, which is appointed by the governor, is charged with educating the public and developing programs to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation, including increasing the number of Delawareans who include the donor designation on their driver's license or personal ID card. The board also encourages Delawareans to contribute to the Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Trust Fund.