Environmental Toxicology Course Enrollment Essay Contest
Announcement: January Environmental Toxicology + Essay Contest: Win a $300 RO Filter
In January, IPAK‑EDU will run a new session of “Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health” at a special tuition of $99.
To push the work beyond the classroom, we are pairing this session with a skill‑based essay contest for enrolled students. The focus stays where it belongs: how real people think about real toxicants in their environments.
The prize
For every six people who enroll in the January course, IPAK‑EDU will fund one (1) prize:
● a brand‑new reverse osmosis (RO) drinking‑water filtration system for home use, similar to the unit Dr. Jack uses in his own home.
● approximate retail value: $300 per system.
● installation is not required.
Each person can win at most one RO system through this contest.
Who can participate
You qualify to enter the contest if you:
● enroll in the January session of “Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health” at the $99 promotional tuition;
● live in the United States or D.C.; and
●
are at least 18 years old (or the
age of majority in your state, if higher).
Due to state contest and promotion rules,
residents of Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and
Vermont are not eligible for this contest. The promotion is void where
prohibited by law. You can still take the course if you live in those states;
you just cannot enter this particular contest.
How the essay contest works
After you enroll, we will send you a link with the exact instructions and deadline.
Your task: write a short essay in English on one of these prompts:
Why you want to take this Environmental Toxicology course; or
Which environmental toxins or toxicants concern you the most and why, with reference to ecosystem and human health.
Your essay must fall within the posted word‑count range and use your own analysis and voice. Grammar tools and light editing aids are fine; automated ghost‑writing is not.
How we choose winners
This contest does not use random drawings. It is a skill‑based competition judged by IPAK‑affiliated experts in environmental health, toxicology, and scientific communication.
Judges will score essays on:
● clarity and structure;
● scientific grounding;
● relevance and depth of concern about exposures; and
● originality and authentic personal voice.
We will rank essays by total score and award RO filter prizes to the highest‑scoring entrants, in line with the “two prizes for every six enrollments” formula and any overall prize cap.
Publication and impact
We intend to publish at least one winning essay, with attribution, through IPAK‑EDU and Popular Rationalism channels, and we may feature additional winners or honorable mentions. The aim is to surface serious, reality‑based thinking about toxicants, exposures, and health rather than slogans or canned narratives.
Important details
● The RO system is a drinking‑water treatment device, not a medical device, and it does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
●
Winners must follow manufacturer
instructions and local plumbing codes for installation and use.
●
For states that regulate
residential water‑treatment devices more tightly (for example California, Iowa,
Massachusetts, Wisconsin), we will ship a compliant model or an equivalent
alternative or cash‑equivalent prize of equal or greater value.
● Prize value counts as taxable income; you are responsible for any taxes that apply.
You can read the full legal terms, eligibility rules, and judging criteria here:
Official Rules – Environmental Toxicology Essay Contest
If you want to strengthen your understanding of environmental toxicology and possibly bring a high‑quality RO system into your home, this is your window.
Environmental Toxicology Essay Contest: Win a Reverse Osmosis Filter for Your Home
During the January offering of “Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health”, IPAK‑EDU is running a skill‑based essay contest for enrolled students.
What you can win
Each winner receives a brand‑new residential reverse osmosis (RO) drinking‑water filtration system for under‑sink or point‑of‑use installation, similar to the unit Dr. Jack uses at home. Approximate retail value: $300. Installation is not included.
For every six paid enrollments in the course during the January promotion period, IPAK‑EDU will fund and aware one RO filter prize for top essays, up to the maximum prize count stated in the Official Rules.
Who can enter
• You must enroll in the January session
of “Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health” at the $99
promotional tuition.
• You must be at least 18 years old (or
the age of majority in your state, if higher).
• You must reside in the United States
or D.C., excluding: Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, North
Dakota, and Vermont.
• Contest is void where prohibited by
law.
How to enter
After you enroll, you will receive a link with instructions to submit a short essay in English on one of these prompts:
Why you want to take this course; or
Which environmental toxins or toxicants concern you the most and why, with reference to ecosystem and human health.
Essays must fall within the word‑count range posted on the contest page and must reflect your own original thinking and writing. You may use tools for grammar and minor polishing, but the ideas and structure must be yours.
How winners are selected
This is a skill‑based contest, not a random drawing. A judging panel of IPAK‑affiliated experts in environmental health, toxicology, and science communication will score eligible essays on:
• clarity and structure
• scientific grounding
• relevance and depth of concern
• originality and authentic voice
Judges will rank essays and award RO filter prizes to the highest‑scoring Entries, in line with the prize‑funding formula above.
Publication of winning essays
IPAK‑EDU intends to publish at least one winning essay, with attribution, across the IPAK‑EDU and Popular Rationalism channels. Additional winning or honorable‑mention essays may also appear, with light editorial polish and your approval for any substantial edits.
Important notes
• The RO filter is a consumer
water‑treatment device, not a medical or diagnostic product.
• Winners are responsible for installing
and using the device according to manufacturer instructions and local plumbing
codes.
• Device models shipped into states such
as California, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin will meet applicable state
requirements or be replaced with a compliant alternative or cash‑equivalent
prize of equal or greater value.
• Prize value counts as taxable income;
winners are responsible for any taxes that apply.
Full eligibility details, judging criteria, prize limits, and legal terms appear in the Official Rules on this page.
January Special: Learn Environmental Toxicology + Enter to Win a Home RO Filter Enroll in “Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health” this January for $99 and you can enter the Environmental Toxicology Essay Contest for a chance to win a reverse osmosis drinking‑water filter (approx. $300 value) for your home.
Open to eligible U.S. residents outside Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Vermont, 18+. Contest is skill‑based; winners are chosen by expert judges. Void where prohibited.
Environmental Toxicology Essay Contest
Draft Official Rules (Skill‑Based Promotion)
1. Sponsor; Contest Name
1.1 The Environmental Toxicology Essay Contest (“Contest”) runs in connection with IPAK‑EDU’s January offering of “Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health” (“Course”).
1.2 The Contest sponsor and administrator (“Sponsor”) is IPAK‑EDU and any affiliated entity that delivers the Course.
2. Eligibility
2.1 An individual may enter the Contest only if, at the time of entry, that individual:
a. is a legal resident of one of the
fifty United States or the District of Columbia;
b. is at least eighteen (18) years old,
or has reached the age of majority in the jurisdiction of residence if that age
is higher; and
c. is physically located in the
jurisdiction of residence.
2.2 The Contest is void for residents of the following states, who are not eligible to enter or win:
● Colorado
● Maryland
● Nebraska
● New Jersey
● North Dakota
●
Vermont
Promotion‑law summaries indicate that
these states either prohibit purchase‑required contests or treat purchase as
incompatible with standard contest structures even when winners are chosen
based on skill, which conflicts with the Contest requirement that entrants
enroll in a paid Course.
2.3 The Contest is void where prohibited by law in any other jurisdiction.
2.4 Employees, officers, directors, and contractors of Sponsor, and members of their immediate families or households, are not eligible.
3. Promotion Period
3.1 Sponsor will state the precise opening and closing dates and times for the Contest entry period (“Promotion Period”) on the Course registration page and Contest landing page. Those dates and times form part of these Official Rules.
3.2 Sponsor will designate a controlling time zone on the Contest landing page. Sponsor will treat that time zone as controlling for all timing questions.
4. How to Enter
4.1 Enrollment and essay requirement. During the Promotion Period, an eligible individual enters the Contest by completing both actions below:
a. completing paid enrollment in the
Course at the promotional tuition of US $99 through Sponsor’s official
enrollment system; and
b. submitting one original essay that
satisfies the requirements in Section 4.2.
Each enrolled student may submit one essay entry (“Entry”).
4.2 Essay topic and format. An Entry must be a written essay in English that addresses one of these prompts:
a. Why the entrant wants to take the
Course; or
b. Which environmental toxins or
toxicants most concern the entrant and why, with reference to ecosystem and
human health.
Sponsor will set and publish a word‑count range on the Contest landing page (for example, a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 750 words). Sponsor will reject essays outside the stated range.
4.3 Original work; use of tools.
a. The essay must represent the entrant’s
own original work and perspective.
b. Entrants may not submit text
generated entirely by an AI system. Entrants may use tools for grammar checking
or minor stylistic edits, but the underlying ideas, structure, and language
must arise from the entrant.
c. Sponsor may disqualify an Entry that
appears substantially plagiarized, fabricated, or machine‑generated.
4.4 Submission method. Sponsor will describe the submission method on the Contest landing page (for example, an online form or a designated email address). Each Entry must include the entrant’s full legal name and contact information. Sponsor will treat an Entry as received when Sponsor’s systems record it as successfully submitted.
4.5 Ineligible content. Sponsor may disqualify Entries that contain unlawful, defamatory, obscene, or harassing content, that promote violence or discrimination, or that disclose another person’s private information without consent.
4.6 Limitations. Automated or scripted entries do not qualify. Sponsor will treat attempts to circumvent entry limits (for example, by using multiple email addresses for the same person) as grounds for disqualification.
5. Prize Description; Value; Number of Winners
5.1 Prize. Each prize consists of one new residential reverse‑osmosis drinking‑water filtration device intended for household point‑of‑use installation (“RO Filter”). The prize does not include installation or plumbing services.
The product is a new Bluevua RO100ROPOT Reverse Osmosis System Countertop Water Filter, 4 Stage Purification, Counter RO Filtration, 2:1 Pure to Drain, Purified Tap Water, Portable Water Purifier for Home or similar if product is discontinued
5.2 Approximate Retail Value (ARV). Sponsor sets the ARV for each RO Filter prize at US $300 based on prevailing market pricing for comparable devices at the time Sponsor drafts these Rules.
5.3 Number of prizes and funding formula.
a. Sponsor funds prizes out of Course
tuition as follows: for each block of six (6) completed and fully paid
Course enrollments during the Promotion Period, Sponsor will fund two
(2) RO Filter prizes.
b. Sponsor may state a maximum total
number of prizes on the Contest landing page. Once stated, that maximum forms
part of these Rules.
c. After the Promotion Period closes,
Sponsor will count the number of qualifying enrollments, apply the six‑to‑two
formula, apply any stated maximum, and determine the final number of prizes to
award.
5.4 Limit of one prize per person. Sponsor will award no more than one RO Filter prize in this Contest to any single individual, household, or email address.
5.5 Device compliance in regulated states.
a. California. California’s Residential Water Treatment Devices Registration Program requires registration and independent certification for residential devices that make health‑related contaminant‑reduction claims and are sold or distributed in the state b. Iowa. Iowa rules governing residential water treatment systems require device registration and third‑party performance testing before sellers may market or distribute covered systemsc. Massachusetts. Massachusetts PFAS and private‑well guidance directs residents toward point‑of‑use devices certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or NSF/ANSI 58 for contaminant reduction, and current legislation and public‑health guidance rely on those standards d. Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services oversees plumbing product approvals and water treatment device certification; state materials instruct dealers to supply product‑approval documentation and to rely on devices that meet NSF/ANSI standards.
Sponsor will deliver an RO Filter into a jurisdiction only if the specific model complies with any registration, certification, and product‑approval requirements that apply in that jurisdiction.
5.6 Substitution where required. If Sponsor cannot confirm that the RO Filter model complies with applicable law for a winner’s jurisdiction, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion:
a. ship a different water‑treatment
device that meets local requirements and has an equal or greater ARV; or
b. provide a cash equivalent or a store
credit of equal or greater value, where law permits.
Sponsor will not reduce the effective ARV of the prize through substitution.
6. Judging; Winner Selection; Nature of Contest
6.1 Skill‑based contest. This Contest is a contest of skill. Chance does not determine winners. Sponsor will not use random selection at any stage in the judging or award process.
6.2 Judging panel. Sponsor will appoint at least two judges with expertise in environmental health, toxicology, public health, science communication, or related fields. Judges may include Course faculty and other IPAK‑affiliated experts.
6.3 Scoring criteria. Judges will score each qualifying essay on four criteria, each scored from 0 to 10:
a. Clarity and structure. Logical
organization, clear argument or narrative, and coherent progression.
b. Scientific grounding. Accurate
use of concepts from environmental toxicology, including correct use of the
terms “toxin” and “toxicant” and realistic descriptions of exposure pathways.
c. Relevance and depth. Direct
engagement with environmental exposures that plausibly affect ecosystems and
human health, with attention to mechanisms rather than slogans.
d. Originality and voice.
Evidence that the essay reflects the entrant’s own thought process, questions,
or lived concerns rather than stock language.
Judges will sum the four criterion scores to produce a total score from 0 to 40 for each essay. If multiple judges score an essay, Sponsor will average the total scores to obtain the final score.
6.4 Ranking and award.
a. After scoring, Sponsor will rank all
eligible Entries by final score from highest to lowest.
b. Sponsor will award RO Filter prizes
to the top‑ranked Entries in descending order until Sponsor has awarded the
number of prizes determined under Section 5.3.
c. If multiple Entries tie on final
score for the last available prize, judges will re‑evaluate those tied Entries
and select the winner or winners based on which essay or essays show stronger
scientific grounding under criterion 6.3(b).
6.5 Odds of winning. Because the Contest uses skill‑based judging and the number and quality of Entries cannot be predicted, Sponsor does not provide numerical odds of winning.
7. Notification, Verification, and Taxes
7.1 Notification. Within a reasonable period after completing judging, Sponsor will attempt to contact potential winners using the email address or other contact information provided with their Entries.
7.2 Verification. Sponsor may require each potential winner to:
a.
confirm eligibility and identity;
b. confirm Course enrollment status
during the Promotion Period; and
c. sign an eligibility declaration,
liability release, and, where lawful, a publicity release.
If a potential winner does not respond within the time stated in the notification, declines the prize, fails to complete required documents, or is found ineligible, Sponsor may disqualify that person and move to the next highest‑ranked Entry.
8. Intellectual Property; Publication of Essays
8.1 License grant. By submitting an Entry, each entrant grants Sponsor a perpetual, worldwide, royalty‑free, non‑exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, publish, distribute, and display the essay, in whole or in part, in connection with IPAK‑EDU and Popular Rationalism educational activities, including websites, newsletters, course materials, and related publications. Sponsor will attribute the essay to the entrant by name unless the entrant requests anonymity.
8.2 Editorial changes. Sponsor may edit winning essays for length, grammar, or clarity while maintaining the central meaning and viewpoint. If Sponsor makes substantial edits, Sponsor will provide the edited version to the entrant for review before publication.
8.3 Publication of winners. Sponsor intends to publish at least one winning essay and may publish additional winning or honorable‑mention essays. Publication depends on the editorial judgment of Sponsor and does not change prize value.
9. Device Safety and Health Disclaimer
9.1 The RO Filter prize is a consumer drinking‑water treatment device. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and does not substitute for medical care or public‑health interventions.
9.2 Winners must install and operate the RO Filter in accordance with:
a.
the manufacturer’s installation and operating instructions; and
b. applicable local plumbing and
building codes.
Sponsor does not guarantee removal of any specific contaminant from any specific water supply. State and local public‑health guidance explains that point‑of‑use devices treat water at a single tap and often require microbiologically safe feed water, especially for private wells.The New Bedford Light+4MWRA+4Irvine Ranch Water District+4
9.3 Winners who rely on private wells or untreated surface water should obtain independent water testing at intervals recommended by local or state health authorities and should select pre‑treatment options accordingly.
10. State‑Specific and Regulatory Disclosures
10.1 Purchase‑restricted contest states. Promotion‑law and sweepstakes‑law summaries identify Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Vermont as jurisdictions that either prohibit purchase requirements for contests or sweepstakes or treat purchase as incompatible with standard contest structures for most promotions.RTM+4National Sweepstakes Company+4KickoffLabs+4
Because Contest entry requires paid enrollment in the Course, Sponsor excludes residents of these states from eligibility under Section 2.2.
10.2 Registration states and high‑value prize pools. Florida, New York, and Rhode Island require registration and, in some cases, bonding for sweepstakes and other chance‑based “game promotions” when the aggregate retail value of prizes crosses defined thresholds (for example, US $5,000 in Florida and New York, US $500 for many retail sweepstakes in Rhode Island).
This Contest uses skill‑based judging rather than random selection and is designed to fall outside sweepstakes registration regimes. Sponsor nevertheless reserves the right to exclude additional jurisdictions or adjust prize counts if counsel determines that any registration or bonding obligation applies and Sponsor elects not to complete that process.
10.3 Arizona and other registration‑heavy contest states. Arizona requires contests with paid entry to register with the Attorney General and to provide sworn statements about prize values and purchase pricing; several promotion‑law guides highlight this requirement.
Sponsor may, at its discretion, either register the Contest where required or exclude residents of jurisdictions that impose registration or similar obligations that Sponsor elects not to meet. If Sponsor applies such an exclusion to a jurisdiction, Sponsor will update the Contest landing page and treat Entries from that jurisdiction as ineligible.
10.4 “Void where prohibited.” The Contest is void in any jurisdiction where these Official Rules, the Contest structure, or the prize would violate local law, including gambling, promotion, consumer‑protection, or water‑treatment regulations.
11. General Conditions
11.1 Agreement to Rules. By entering, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and by Sponsor’s interpretations of these Rules. Sponsor will apply the Rules in good faith and will use consistent criteria when resolving ambiguities.
11.2 Right to modify or cancel. Sponsor may modify, suspend, or cancel the Contest if Sponsor concludes that fraud, technical failure, or any event outside Sponsor’s control compromises the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest. If Sponsor makes a material change to these Rules during the Promotion Period, Sponsor will post updated Rules with a clear effective date on the Contest landing page.
11.3. Refunds No refunds with or without context entry.
11.4 Release. To the maximum extent permitted by law, entrants release Sponsor and Sponsor’s officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from all claims and liabilities arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of any prize, other than claims that law does not allow Sponsor to limit.
11.5 Governing law and forum. These Official Rules are governed by the law of the state where Sponsor is organized, without regard to conflict‑of‑laws rules. Unless mandatory local law requires another forum, any dispute relating to the Contest will proceed in a court of competent jurisdiction in that state.
Withdrawal from the course