Winner Announcement – congratulations to the 2019 winners: Alan Woods (1st Place) & Gabriella Austin (2nd Place). Thanks to all who submitted a video or essay!
You may need money for college well before you need to begin thinking about buying a car seat. Or perhaps you’re going back to college to start a new career. But no matter when you take that next step in your education, we want to help you fund your dreams with our BestCarSeatHub.com $2500 Scholarship Program.
At BestCarSeatHub.com, our primary focus is helping people find the best child and pet safety seats currently on the market. We hope to award scholarships to people who may shape the future of the safety seat industry.
Perhaps you’ll contribute your talents to crash safety research. Maybe you’ll test car seats as an influencer on YouTube or on a product review blog. Or maybe you’ll simply be a safety-minded parent who shops for your own child safety seat. Whatever the case, we hope this 2019-2020 Scholarship program encourages you to lend your voice to the future of child car safety.
Our scholarship will award first and second place prizes so that we can help two college-bound students get a head start on their success.
Topics for Essay or Video
- The AAP now states that children should ride rear-facing for as long as possible past 2 years old. Yet, some convertible car seats still have low rear-facing weight limits that don’t support rear-facing for some children. Should state laws be amended to ensure every parent buys a car seat so their children can ride rear-facing past 2 years old? Or should car seat manufacturers be forced to manufacture convertible seats with higher rear-facing limits?
- In 2018, Sweden, which has historically had a very low rate of traffic fatalities over the past decade, experienced more traffic fatalities than any year since 2009. What could account for the rise in 2018 deaths? Also, what is Sweden doing right in terms of car safety, and how could the US implement those positive changes?
- According to a recent article on CNN, over 38 kids die every year from being left in their infant car seats in a hot car. A few new laws have been introduced that will require car manufacturers to include rear-seat alerts in all new vehicles. Some have already begun to do so. But should car seat manufacturers also be required to include alarms on their car seats?
- Distracted driving accounted for over 3,000 US deaths in 2017, most of which were caused by cell phone usage. Despite laws against using mobile phones while driving and insurance incentives for good driving, this number is steadily increasing. Mobile technology isn’t going away, so what else can we do to prevent distracted driving accidents?
- Stricter car seat laws in some states are requiring kids shorter than 4 feet 9 inches to ride in a booster seat. This will require many middle schoolers to remain in boosters. However, many kids don’t want to be seen in a “baby seat” at that age, so parents don’t make them ride in boosters that long. How could booster seat design change to be more appealing to middle schoolers?
- Research has shown that children have a higher concentration of chemical flame retardants in their bodies than adults. These have been associated with many adverse health conditions. Yet, only a few brands of car seats have naturally flame retardant seat covers. Why aren’t all car seat brands avoiding chemical flame retardants?
- A Philadelphia dad launched a new stroller startup called Colugo, meant to provide an affordable, high-quality stroller that is simpler to use than traditional models. Should parents trust new startups like these or stick to established brands of car seat and stroller combos?
- As of 2019, pet car restraints have no federal safety standards and aren’t required to pass federal crash testing. According to the Center for Pet Safety (CPS), only a few brands of dog car seat belts and harnesses are considered safe after their independent testing. However, many brands have conducted their own independent testing and advertise that their products are safe. Should pet owners trust the findings of the CPS over manufacturer’s claims?
- In 2016, Johnson Controls studied dogs of various breeds and sizes and how they ride in cars to come up with ideas for better engineering of cars, dog car seats, and other car restraints. They estimate it will take at least a decade for the US to adopt universal standards in vehicle pet safety. What will those safety standards look like, and how should they be implemented?
- The NHTSA estimates that by 2025, fully automated safety features and highway autopilot will be the norm. What benefits will come with fully automated driving? What are the potential downsides?
Scholarship Application Form
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a high school graduate by the time of the award (February 1, 2020).
- Must be enrolled in high school, homeschooled, or a college student who plans to attend or currently attends an accredited post-secondary institution located within the United States.
- All applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA when applying and when the scholarship is awarded.
How to Apply
To apply to the BestCarSeatHub.com $2500 Scholarship Program, fill out the application form below. You must also include your official transcript or proof of enrollment to a U.S. accredited college.
Please take your time filling out the information, as any fields that are missing or incomplete will invalidate the application. Along with your application, you must also include a 3,000 – 3,500-word essay that uses correct grammar, punctuation, and writing mechanics. The essay must cover one of the questions answered in detail. Ensure that all content is 100% unique, since we will run each entry through a plagiarism checker. Write with plain text, size 12, Times New Roman. Do not use pictures or chat speak.
If you would prefer, you can create a 5-10-minute video answering one of the questions. If you choose this option, you do not need to write the essay. Post your video to YouTube, and then share the link on the application form. If you write the essay, you do not need a video. Note that we will use your video in future applications and on our website/blog if we choose your entry for a scholarship award.
Remember to make your answers informative, fact-based, and interesting. If you choose to make a video, consider adding effects and captioning to make it accessible for hearing-impaired viewers.
All written submissions become property of BestCarSeatHUB and may be posted on our website, blog, social media accounts, or elsewhere as we see fit.
If you have any questions about the program, you can reach us at [email protected]. Please give us 2-3 days to get back to you.
Application Deadline & Guidelines
- Starting Date: August 10, 2019
- Deadline: February 1, 2020
- Winner Announcement: February 10, 2020
Awards
- 1st Place: One-time award of $2500
- 2nd Place: One-time award of $1500
