USAID GLOBAL LEAD DIGITAL STORYTELLING CONTEST 2021

admin June 10, 2021

5 minutes read

Apply for the USAID Global Lead Digital Storytelling Contest 2021

Deadline: 23 July 2021

Thank you for your interest in the #WatchOurImpact Global LEAD Digital Storytelling Contest (“Contest”)! We are thrilled that you are considering entering this contest designed specifically for young changemakers like you! Youth around the world are making lasting impacts in their communities, yet their efforts are too often underestimated.

The United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Global Leadership and Education Advancing Development (Global LEAD) Initiative, YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE), and Generation Unlimited (GenU), along with other global partners, have joined forces for this digital storytelling contest to show how youth are using the power of change to make the world a better place.

Entering is easy.

Create a three-minute video or slideshow that meets the contest requirements below.
Upload your video or slideshow to YouTube or Vimeo.
Fill out the submission form. You must be a member of YouthLead to submit, but registration is free. Register or Log in here.

Read on for contest rules and terms.

Good luck—we cannot wait to see what you submit!

Submission Requirements

All video and/or slideshow submissions must:

Be no longer than three minutes;
Have a title and brief description; and
Be an original work by the Entrant created for the purpose of this contest.

Submissions should not include copyrighted material. The use of copyrighted materials will result in immediate disqualification.

In addition, submissions that have been published on other platforms or prior publications will not be considered.

Direct video uploads are not permitted at YouthLead.org. Please upload your video submissions using a free, trusted third-party platform (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) and provide us with the link.

Videos must be of a high enough quality to view uninterrupted, and no less than 480p.

Submissions will only be accepted between June 7, 2021 and July 23, 2021.

Each Entry Must Meet the Following Additional Requirements:

Who May Enter

The contest 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 percent 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 two business days (July 21, 2021) prior to the end of the Entry Period to ensure timely approval for entering the competition.

You can now create your profile in Arabic, English, French or Spanish.

Note: Current YouthLead Ambassadors, YouthLead Peer Advisors, members of the YP2LE Youth Advisory Group, USAID staff, and employees of the YP2LE contractor, subcontractors, and YouthLead Sponsors are not eligible to enter or win.

Method of Submission

All entries must be submitted here. (Submissions in Arabic, French, or Spanish will also use the same link as the English submissions. You can use “Select Language” in the upper right-hand corner on your screen to translate the submission page to Arabic, French, or Spanish).

Note: You need to log-in to YouthLead.orgto the YouthLead.org to access the submission form.

Releases

1. If the submission contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the submission, the Entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission, any and all releases and consents necessary. If any person appearing as a subject in any submission is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence, the Entrant is responsible for getting the approval, on each release, of a parent or legal guardian.

2. By entering the #WatchOurImpact Digital Storytelling Contest, Entrants agree and acknowledge that Making Cents International, the implementer of YP2LE, is permitted to receive and review the Entrant’s registration data. All personal information will be used by YP2LE in accordance with the Privacy Policy on YouthLead.org and the #WatchOurImpact Digital Storytelling Contest rules.

Selection Process

Entries that do not meet the submission criteria for the contest will be excluded.
Decisions of the Judging Panel are final and are not subject to appeal.
This contest is skills-based and chance plays no part in the determination of the winners.

Voting / Judging Criteria

Submissions that meet the contest rules will be displayed on the #WatchOurImpact Contest Video Gallery page, where new and existing YouthLead members can vote on their favorite contest entries. Voting will open July 1 and close on July 23.

There will also be a committee of judges whose votes will be weighted to account for any bots used to interfere with the voting process. The judges will evaluate the submissions based on the following criteria (“Judging Criteria”):

● Voice and Power

● Experience and Engagement

● Inspiration

● Impact

Voice and Power (30 percent) – Does the Entrant’s “voice” come through in the video or slideshow? Does the audience have a better understanding of the activity? Is it expressive? Does it capture emotion(s)?

Experience and Engagement (20 percent) – Does the submission help the audience to better understand or connect with the Entrant’s experience? Does it keep the audience engaged?

Inspire (25 percent) – Does the submission inspire the audience to want to learn more or take action?

Impact (25 percent) – Does the submission capture the impactful work being done in the Entrant’s community or bring attention to the cause?

Prizes

The winning submissions will be published at YouthLead.org, promoted via our YouthLead social media channels and newsletter, and announced across all campaign partners’ social media channels. In addition, contest winners will:

Take part in the USAID Global LEAD #WatchOurImpact Dialogue with other VIPs on August 12.
Be featured on GenU’s website.
Have the opportunity to meet with a senior member of the GenU global leadership council or board.
Lead a “social media takeover” of GenU accounts.
Become part of GenU’s pool of moderators.
Be connected with GenU country offices.

Partners

The partners of the #WatchOurImpact GlobalLEAD Digital Storytelling Contest are USAID, GenU, and YP2LE, an activity funded by USAID and implemented by Making Cents International.

Entry Period

The #WatchOurImpact Digital Storytelling Contest begins on Thursday, June 7, 2021 and ends Friday, July 23, 2021 at 6 P.M., Eastern Daylight Time (the “Entry Period”). Submissions must be made online. No mailed or emailed entries (electronic or hard copy) will be accepted. To enter, you must be a registered member of YouthLead.org. Registration is free, but registration requests must be submitted at least two business days (July 21, 2021) before the submission deadline of July 23, 2021 to ensure timely approval for entering the competition.

Usage Rights

By entering this contest, you consent to have your submission published at YouthLead.org along with your name and photo (if applicable) and grant us permission to use your submission in promotional materials related to this contest (including sharing on social media channels), and each Entrant hereby releases YP2LE, YouthLead and participating Partners from any liability with respect thereto.

Except as otherwise stated in these contest terms, personal information collected in connection with this contest will be used in accordance with the privacy policy found on the YouthLead’s website and with the consent given by each Entrant at the time of entry.