2020 YouthLead Turning Point Contest for Young Changemakers
Deadline: March 6, 2020.
YouthLead invite written submissions, in the form of a personal essay or poem, that tell a powerful story about one important turning point you have experienced as a young changemaker. A turning point can be a moment in your life when you felt inspired, motivated, empowered, or enabled by a person, a place, or an event to begin working for change in your community. Community can be defined as a group of people you share common attitudes, interests, and goals with at the local, district, national, or global level, or in another way that makes sense to each author.
ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to all members of the public who are:
• Citizens of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) as listed here;
• Aged 18-35 and
• Members of YouthLead with a member profile that is at least 80% complete. Becoming a member of YouthLead is easy and free. All Entrants must be successfully registered on YouthLead. As registration may take several days to process, all YouthLead.org registration requests must be submitted at least 4 business days prior to the end of the Entry Period to ensure timely approval for entering the contest.
WRITING FORMAT
invite you to write about one specific and important “turning point” in your life that led you to become a changemaker. A “turning point” can be inspired by a person, an event, or moment however large or small, that is personally important to you, and that motivates you to make a positive impact in your community.
Personal Essay
The goal of the personal essay is to tell your story in your own voice. A great personal essay helps the reader better understand your experience. In other words, why is the “turning point” you choose to write about important for you, and how does it inform, inspire, or motivate you today? Use the personal essay as an opportunity to describe the turning point and the change you are currently trying to impact through your work.
Format & Length: Each submission must have a title and cannot be longer than 5,000 characters (including spaces). There is no minimum length.
Language: Essays can be written in English, Spanish, or French. No other languages will be accepted.
Poem
Poems can take any form you prefer (e.g., Haiku, free verse, ballad, etc.). As above, the goal is to use this format to express your voice and to describe the turning point that is personally important to you – how it informs, inspires, or motivates you today.
Format & Length: All poems must have a title and the poem cannot be longer than 5,000 characters (including spaces). There is no minimum length.
Language: Poems can be written in English, Spanish or French. No other languages will be accepted.
BENEFITS
Each language category will be judged separately. First and second place prizes will be awarded to the top two winners in each language category (English, Spanish and French). Third through sixth place in each language category will receive honorable mentions. All awardees will be featured on the YouthLead.org platform.
A. Poems:
English Submissions
1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $200 and poem featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, and poem featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd – 6th Place Honorable Mentions – poem featured on YouthLead.org.
Spanish Language Submissions
1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $200 and poem featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, and featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd – 6th Place Honorable Mentions – poem featured on YouthLead.org.
French Language Submissions
1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $200 and poem featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, and poem featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd – 6th Place Honorable Mentions – poem featured on YouthLead.org.
B. Personal Essay:
English Submissions
1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $200 and personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, and personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd – 6th Place Honorable Mentions – personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
Spanish Language Submissions
1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $200 and personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, and personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd – 6th Place Honorable Mentions – personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
French Language Submissions
1. 1st Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize of $200 and personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
2. 2nd Place Winner – a one-time monetary prize $100, and personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
3. 3rd – 6th Place Honorable Mentions – personal essay featured on YouthLead.org.
C. If a winner does not respond within seven (7) days of notification, the Sponsor may, at its discretion, select one of the Honorable Mentions a Prize Winner.
D. Written submissions of Runners-Up will be displayed on the YouthLead.org Platform.
E. The Sponsor reserves the right to award fewer, none, or additional prizes.
APPLICATION
1. All written submissions must be the original work of the Entrant (that is, written by the Entrant him/herself), and relate to an activity that the Entrant is directly involved as a changemaker.
2. All entries must be submitted here. (Submissions in French or Spanish will also use this link. You can use “Select Language” in the upper right hand corner on your screen to translate the submission page to French or Spanish).
3. By entering the Turning Point Contest, Entrants agree and acknowledge that Making Cents International, the implementer of YouthPower Learning, is permitted to receive and review the Entrant’s registration data. All personal information will be used by YouthPower Learning in accordance with the Privacy Policy on YouthLead.org and the Turning Point Contest rules.
4. Written pieces must have been developed between February 13, 2019 and the Contest deadline of March 6, 2020. Entries that have been published on other platforms or prior publications will not be considered.
OFFICIAL LINK
