‘Glow Life’ Contest Deadline for Fifth Grade Classrooms Extended to Dec. 4
October 26, 2026
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| A young participant shines a UV flashlight on a millipede to see the insect’s biofluorescent glow during a Discover Life in America bioblitz event at Loyston Point Recreation Area in 2023. The Glow Life project is centered on a science curriculum about this fascinating aspect of biology in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Photo courtesy of DLiA |
Dollywood, Smokies Life and Discover Life in America encourage Smokies area students to learn about bioluminescence, submit ‘glowing’ entries for chance to win class trip to Dollywood
GATLINBURG, TN - Smokies partners are giving fifth grade classrooms in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina additional time to engage in a unique learning opportunity and the chance to win a fun-filled trip to Dollywood to experience its newest attraction, NightFlightExpedition. The ‘Glow Life’ contest deadline has been extended three weeks to Friday, Dec. 4, to give fifth grade students and their teachers time to complete the short, ready-made curriculum unit and organize a contest entry for their class submission.
The ‘Glow Life’ project, online at GlowLife.SmokiesLife.org, is centered on a science curriculum about a fascinating aspect of biology in Great Smoky Mountains National Park: the phenomena of bioluminescence and biofluorescence.
“We’re always seeking to showcase that Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a special place and engaging students through Glow Life is an exceptional way to do that,” explained Smokies Life CEO Jacqueline Harp. “Highlighting to area fifth graders that this national park, their national park, is a park of science is a way to ignite curiosity for the next generation of scientists and stewards of the Smokies. By extending the contest deadline to Dec. 4, we hope even more teachers and students have the opportunity to participate.”
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| Dollywood’s newest attraction, NightFlight Expedition, is a groundbreaking immersive indoor coaster where adventurers search for radiant light from bioluminescent creatures and plants. Five classes will be selected as winners of the Glow Life contest and enjoy a spring 2027 trip to Dollywood where students can experience the ride. Image courtesy of Dollywood Parks & Resorts |
“In everything we do at Dollywood, it is our goal to be authentic to this amazing place we call home,” said Carol Agee, Dollywood Community Affairs and Philanthropy Manager. “Now with students settled into their fall semesters, and our newest attraction, NightFlight Expedition open for guests, we want to share the fascinating story of bioluminescence found here in the Smokies. Working with Smokies Life and Discover Life in America, we hope the Glow Life contest helps teachers across our region encourage their students’ growth and achievement in science and, ultimately, deepen their love and appreciation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considered the most biodiverse of all the U.S. national parks, home to the largest variety of animals, plants, insects, fungi and other living organisms. More than 22,000 species have been documented to date by Discover Life in America, while scientists estimate that 60,000 to 80,000 total species call the Smokies home, leaving 60–70% waiting to be discovered by current and future scientists.
When night falls in the Smokies, the landscape often takes on a beguiling glow generated by two marvels of nature: bioluminescence and biofluorescence. Bioluminescence occurs when living organisms produce light due to a chemical reaction, while biofluorescence occurs when an organism absorbs ultraviolet or blue light and emits it in another color, typically red, orange or green.
Todd Witcher, executive director for Discover Life in America, notes that synchronous fireflies have brought worldwide attention to the science and beauty of bioluminescence found in the national park. “The Glow Life contest encourages scientific exploration beyond fireflies to an abundance of other bioluminescent and biofluorescent organisms, from mushrooms to salamanders, inviting students to explore the how, what and why of Smokies species that seem like magic,” he said.
Glow Life includes a choice of two free lesson plans, an educational video and the contest to inspire scientific curiosity by fifth grade students in North Carolina and Tennessee counties near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Five classes will win a spring 2027 trip to Dollywood where students can experience the new NightFlight Expedition ride.
Called the most anticipated new attraction of 2026 by industry experts, media and influencers, Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition is a groundbreaking immersive indoor adventure coaster.Embarking on a daring journey aboard remarkable vehicles, adventurers fly backward and forward from majestic peaks to churning rapids and glide across a shimmering lake. Immersed in the Smokies’ hidden depths after dark, they explore uncharted territory, searching for radiant light emanating from bioluminescent creatures and plants.
For the contest, classrooms are encouraged to make a creation of their own in a medium of their choosing, exploring bioluminescence and biofluorescence and their importance to living things in the Great Smokies. Projects can be an essay, art project, play, video, song, imagining a new bioluminescent creature or something else altogether. For details on how to participate in Glow Life, visit GlowLife.SmokiesLife.org or contact GlowLife@smokieslife.org.
Glow Life partners:
Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, Dollywood Parks & Resorts consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and two award-winning resort properties: Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on May 3, 1986, and earned the theme park industry’s highest accolade, the Applause Award, in 2010. Dollywood has earned 67 Golden Ticket Awards and 28 Brass Ring Awards for live entertainment. In 2022, 2024 and 2025, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has been recognized as a top U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, operates the eight visitor center stores found in and around the park and supports the scientific, historical and interpretive activities of the national park by providing educational products and services to park visitors. SmokiesLife.org.
Discover Life in America’s mission is connecting communities and scientists in discovering, understanding and conserving the natural world. DLiA’s flagship project, the All TaxaBiodiversity Inventory (ATBI), is a joint effort with the National Park System to identify and understand the relationships between every species within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. DLiA.org
