NICKELODEON CALLS FOR ENTRIES FOR FIRST-EVER "WHAT'S YOUR NICKFLUENCE?" ANIMATION SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GET SCHOOLED TO AWARD A $25,000 SCHOLARSHIP

Call for Global Submissions Open Now through Sept. 14, 2015

Los Angeles-(July 22, 2015)- Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, and Get Schooled, a national non-profit co-founded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom, are giving one skilled and innovative young animator the chance to win a $25,000 scholarship through the inaugural "What's Your Nickfluence?" Animation Challenge. The open call for original animated shorts is open now through Sept. 14, 2015, and marks the first-ever animation scholarship program between the two organizations, which will help elevate and support the brightest up and coming animators by giving them an opportunity to submit their story.

"What's Your Nickfluence?" Animation Challenge is a global short film competition which gives eligible participants the opportunity to create an original, Nick-inspired short film - no longer than three (3) minutes - that celebrates Nickelodeon's past and present shows and brand, and how these influenced the applicant's art, childhood and life.

The scholarship opportunity is open to 17-24 year-old college students in which applicants will be required to submit an animated short in any format. Realizing that talent is found across all age ranges and in all corners of the globe, 13-17 year-old high school students are also invited to submit a short in any format for the chance to win a Wacom Cintiq 13HD Interactive Pen Display, along with a one year subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud services. All applicants must submit their entries in accordance with the submission process described in the below link, comply with all official rules, and provide satisfactory verification of age and school status.

Following the entry period, finalists will be selected by a panel of judges, and the top entries in each of the two age categories will be announced November 2015 as finalists. From Sept. 28, 2015 through Nov. 15, 2015 fans will have the chance to vote for their favorite "People's Choice" short at Get Schooled.com. There will be one winner in the college category and five winners in the high school category, who will be announced in November 2015, along with the "People's Choice" short winner. For additional details on the submission process and official rules, please visit https://getschooled.com/nickfluencechallenge.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 36th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

About Get Schooled

Get Schooled, a non-profit launched in 2010 by Viacom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the belief that students themselves have the power to improve their future if given the right information and motivation. Get Schooled works with 2,000 high schools across the United States and draws 1.8 million students to its website annually.