National Eye Institute video with Dr. Raven Baxter urges high schoolers to enter its teen science contest

Dr. Raven Baxter posted a 44-second video on Instagram on March 15, 2024, urging U.S. high school students to enter the National Eye Institute's 2024 Eye on the Future Teen Video Contest.

"If you're in high school and you love sharing science with the world, I think you should enter the National Eye Institute's Eye on the Future contest," Baxter says to open the video. Her next line names the prize. "You get a chance to win $2,000 and also a trip to the National Institutes of Health."

Instagram is one of the most used apps among U.S. teens. In December 2023, the Pew Research Center reported that about nine in ten U.S. teens used YouTube, 63 percent used TikTok and 59 percent used Instagram. A month earlier, Pew found the share of U.S. adults confident in scientists had dropped to 73 percent, 14 points below the early months of the pandemic.

Baxter offers her own range as an example. "You've seen me communicate things from molecular biology to immunology and beyond, making music, videos, fashion, and more. And now it's your turn," she says. A montage of clips from her past work runs under the line.

Her central argument is that any subject counts. "Science is anywhere. And it's for everyone," she says. "So, no matter what kind of science you're into, we want to hear about it." Her Instagram caption described a competition "challenging high schoolers to use their creativity, critical thinking skills, and scientific knowledge to communicate what they find fascinating about the world."

Baxter at the close of the video, telling students she looks forward to their entries. Image: Dr. Raven Baxter video

The National Eye Institute was founded in 1968 and is part of the National Institutes of Health. It calls itself "America's leader in vision research," with a mission to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life. NEI launched the contest "to encourage U.S. high school students from all backgrounds to explore science." Students enter alone or in teams of up to three.

The 2024 contest named winners in three categories, according to NEI's list of past winners. Dan Aasa won Science in your world with a music video on the science of sports and singing. Aaron Shao and Ethan Shao won Science in the field or lab with a video on gravitational waves. Amy Sun won Science in your future for a video on eye cancer research.

Baxter, a molecular biologist, has taught science online since 2016. At the time of the campaign she was director of science communication at Mount Sinai's Cohen Center.

Baxter's video is on Instagram, and contest details are on NEI's Eye on the Future page.

Paid partnership with the National Eye Institute.