Rules and Regulations
OFFICIAL RULES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
1. PROMOTION PERIOD: The VTech “Whiz Kid Class of 2020” Contest (“Contest”) begins at 12:00:01 a.m.Eastern Time (“ET”) on July 30, 2007 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on September 7, 2007 (“Promotion Period”).
2. HOW TO ENTER: During the Promotion Period, if you are a kindergarten teacher or a parent/legal guardian of a kindergarten student in a public school for the 2007-2008 academic year (in a class with a maximum of 25 students), you may enter the Contest by submitting a photograph (in .jpeg format and no larger than 5MB in file size) of your anticipated or actual kindergarten classroom or your child’s anticipated or actual kindergarten classroom (with no children included in photograph) and a 250-word or less essay about why your or your child’s classroom needs a new Whiz Kid Learning Center and how the students in this classroom would benefit from an educational learning center. Please note, you must make the principal at your or your child’s school aware that you are entering. You may enter via any of the following two methods: 1) By visiting www.vtechwhizkid.com (“Contest Web site”) and registering and including your photograph and essay. 2) By visting the Contest Web site and downloading the submission forms and completing them or by typing your essay in 12-point font, double spaced on 8.5” x 11” white paper and including a cover page with your first and last name, complete address, daytime phone number, email address (if applicable), date of birth and word count (including I, a, etc.), attaching your photograph and mailing your complete entry to: VTech Whiz Kid Contest, P.O. Box 7921, Melville, NY 11775-7921. All mail-in entries must be postmarked on or before 9/7/07 and received by 9/12/07. Mechanically reproduced mailed entries not accepted. The essay must: 1) be complete, in English and a maximum of 250 words, to be eligible; 2) answer the following two (2) questions: a) Why does your or your child’s classroom need a new Whiz Kid Learning Center? b) How would the students in this classroom benefit from an educational learning center? Entrants can submit up to three additional documents (e.g., letters of recommendation, drawings or petitions) to further illustrate the overall enthusiasm for the Contest. The essay and photograph must: 1) be the property of the entrant; 2) not have been submitted in any other competition or previously published or won any awards. Limit one entry per child/per classroom, so a parent entrant may enter one time for each of his/her children in separate classrooms but a teacher may only enter once for his/her classroom. Duplicate submissions will automatically be disqualified. Sponsor is not responsible for entries not received in time for judging. Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Entrants acknowledge and agree that their entries become the sole property of the Sponsor, who thereby has the right to publish, display, edit, adapt, modify, reproduce, promote and otherwise use entries in any way it sees fit. The Sponsor also has the exclusive right to use the entries and excerpts of the entries in any advertising, promotional and media materials (visual, sound, print and/or electronic form), including posting entries on non-affiliated web sites. Judges may disqualify essays that have won previous awards or competitions. No information regarding entries or judging will be disclosed.
3. JUDGING: All eligible entries will be judged by Sponsor on or about September 24, 2007, to determine the Grand Prize winners, based on the following criteria:
- Need of classroom (40%)
- Essay should illustrate the classroom and school’s need for additional educational resources. - Support and enthusiasm for Contest (25%)
- Demonstration of school and/or community support for the program based on the essay and the additional documents submitted. Entrants can submit up to three additional documents (e.g., letters of recommendation, drawings or petitions) to further illustrate the overall enthusiasm for the Contest. - Commitment to learning and education (25%)
-Essay should convey the classroom’s dedication to creating lifelong learners. - Photograph of classroom (10%)
- Showcase the space available for the Whiz Kid Learning Center.
In the event of a tie, tied entries will be re-evaluated by the judges based solely on Need of classroom. Decisions of judges are final with respect to all matters relating to this Contest. By participating, entrants agree to the Official Rules and the decisions of the Judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects. Winners will be notified by phone, mail or e-mail.
4. PRIZES AND APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUES (“ARV”): Three (3) Grand Prizes will be awarded with: A
VTech Whiz Kid Learning Center, including three (3) personal computers and printers of Sponsor’s selection
and an assortment of Whiz Kid technology equipment for use in the winning classroom, awarded to the
teacher’s or parent/legal guardian’s child’s kindergarten classroom, a classroom party for the corresponding
kindergarten class, and a $500 U.S. savings bond awarded to each child in the kindergarten class Total maximum
ARV of each Grand Prize is $20,000, Total ARV of all prizes is $60,000). All prizes will be awarded, provided
a sufficient number of eligible entries are received. Prizes are not transferable; no substitutions or cash
equivalents are allowed except by the Sponsor who reserves the right to award a prize of equal or greater
value. Taxes, if any, related to the school portion of the prize are the responsibility of the individual schools
corresponding to winning kindergarten classes. Taxes, if any, related to the $500 U.S. savings bond are the
responsibility of the parent/legal guardian of each kindergarten student. No responsibility or liability is
assumed for damages, losses or injury resulting from acceptance or use of any prize. All other expenses and
costs not expressly listed above are each winner's sole responsibility.
5. ELIGIBILITY: This Contest is open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., who are, as of date of entry, 18 years of age or older and a kindergarten teacher in a public school in the United States for the 2007- 2008 academic year or a parent/legal guardian of a child who is in kindergarten in a public school in the United States for the 2007-2008 academic year. Employees of VTech Electronics North America, Edelman, contest judges and all their respective affiliates, parent companies, subsidiaries, promotion partners, advertising, public relation and promotional agencies, including Don Jagoda Associates, Inc., and the immediate families (including, but not limited to, spouses, parents, siblings, and children) or household members of each, are not eligible to enter or win. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All Federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.
6. GENERAL RULES: The Sponsor will make 3 attempts to contact each potential Grand Prize winning
teacher or parent/legal guardian who submitted winning entry within 48 hours from the time of winner determination.
If Sponsor is unable to reach any potential Grand Prize winning teacher or parent/legal guardian who
submitted winning entry within this time frame, he/she will be disqualified and an alternate may be determined
based on the judging criteria set forth above. The principal (or other authorized administrative official) of the
school where the Grand Prize winning teacher works or where the parent/legal guardian’s child attends
kindergarten, will be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Publicity Release
(where legal) (“Affidavit & Release”) within 3 days of notification attempt or prize will be forfeited and an alternate
winner determined, based on the judging criteria set forth above. All Grand Prize winning teachers/parents/legal guardians and the parent/legal guardian of each child who is in the winning kindergarten class will
be required to sign and return Affidavits & Releases and where applicable, an Assignment of Rights, within 3
days of notification attempt or prize will be forfeited. If child’s parent legal guardian does not return the
Affidavit & Release, that child will forfeit his/her savings bond and will not be able to participate in any contest
related activities in the classroom. Grand Prize winning teachers or parent/legal guardians who submitted winning
entries will be responsible for distributing Affidavits & Releases to the parent/legal guardian of each
kindergarten student in his/her (or child’s) class and the principal. If a parent/legal guardian submitted a winning
entry (not the teacher), he/she will also be responsible for having his/her child’s teacher complete an
Affidavit & Release. Affidavits & Releases will be mailed overnight mail with a pre-paid overnight return envelope
included. Any Grand Prize winner notification that is returned as undeliverable may result in disqualification
and alternate determination. In the event of a dispute regarding any online entry, that entry will be
deemed made by the authorized account holder at the time of the entry submission. By participating in this
Contest, entrants agree to be bound by the official rules and the decisions of the judges. The Sponsor and its
agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or
unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic
communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in
this Contest or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the online entries in this Contest. No
responsibility is assumed for lost, misdirected, illegible, damaged, postage due or late mailed entries. The
Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper
with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or web site; violates the official rules; or acts in an
unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.
Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation
of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages
from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of
these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole
discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the online portion of the Contest if it is not capable of running
as planned, including, but not limited to, infection by computer virus, tampering, unauthorized intervention,
fraud, technical failures or any other problems beyond the control of the Sponsor and award prizes from
among all eligible online entries received prior to cancellation and all eligible mailed entries received. The
Sponsor and each of its respective affiliates, officers, directors, agents, and employees will have no liability or
responsibility for any claim arising in connection with participation in this Contest or any prize awarded.
Winners assume all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by participation in this
Contest or use or redemption of any prize.
7. RELEASE: By submitting your entry and if you are determined a Grand Prize winner, you hereby grant the
Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, licensees, and legal representatives the irrevocable, perpetual,
worldwide right to use, reproduce, edit, market, store, distribute, have distributed, publicly and privately display,
communicate, publicly and privately perform, transmit, have transmitted, create derivative works based
upon, use in future marketing elements and promote the essay or photograph (as such may be edited and
modified by the Sponsor in its sole discretion) for editorial, commercial, promotional and all other purposes. In
addition, you and the parents/legal guardians of the children in your kindergarten class, and its teacher and
principal hereby assign to the Sponsor all rights, titles, and interests that you may be deemed to have in any
reproduction, product, or derivative work using or incorporating the essay and any photographs or subsequent
advertising components. You represent and warrant that: (i) the essay and photograph does not and shall not
infringe on any copyright or any other third party right nor violate any applicable law or regulation, (ii) you have
the right to grant any and all necessary rights and licenses provided herein, including without limitation, all
necessary copyright and other related rights to the essay and photograph, free and clear of all claims and
encumbrances without violating the rights of any person or entity, including any right to privacy or publicity.
You hereby hold the Sponsor harmless from and against any third party claim arising from use of the essay or
photograph. You waive any right to inspect or approve uses of the essay or photograph or to be compensated
for any such uses. You agree that you and your child if applicable, and teacher and all children in your or your
child’s kindergarten class will need to be available at Sponsor-selected times during the next year for various
types of public relations events, including participating in classroom events such as camera crews filming
class, participating in or being depicted in interviews (local market interviews and possibly national interviews),
audio news releases and in various types of video footage. You hereby represent and warrant that you have
read these rules and are fully familiar with its contents.
8. WINNERS' LIST: For a list of the Grand Prize winners, visit www.vtechwhizkid.com after October 22, 2007 and before December 1, 2007.
SPONSOR: The Sponsor of the Contest is VTech Electronics North America, 1155 W. Dundee, Suite 130, Arlington Heights, IL 60004.