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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It’s never too early to learn how to evaluate businesses and make smart purchasing decisions, and the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado (BBBSC) Foundation is hosting a fun, educational video production contest for teens living in southern Colorado.

The project has been created to help young consumers discover, and then ultimately use, the services provided by the BBBSC.
 
Videos must be one to three minutes in length and will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Originality
• Creativity
• Appeal to a teen audience
• Adherence to the BBB brand
• Understanding of how the BBB can help teens make wise buying decisions.

First prize is $500 and second prize of $250.

Entrants must live in one of the following counties served by BBBSC: Alamosa, Baca, Bent, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Las Animas, Lincoln, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache and Teller. 
 
Those who wish to participate must be between the ages of 13 and 19 during the 2010 calendar year.

Contest participants may begin submitting their videos and applications on Monday, March 1. The deadline is 3 p.m. Friday, April 30.
 
Once all videos have been received, a panel of judges will select up to 10 finalists. These videos will be embedded at www.southerncolorado.bbb.org/votenow.

Visitors to the local BBB Web site may cast their vote between Monday, May 17 and Friday, June 11.
 
The videos with the most votes will be awarded first and second prize. The winners will be announced on Monday, June 28. 
 
For details, go to www.southerncolorado.bbb.org/video-contest.