Reading Time: 10 minutes

CALL FOR PAPERS!!! Announcing the YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest

OVERVIEW
Calling all young changemakers! Participate within the “YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest” and be a part of us in advocating for peace, justice, and strong establishments! “Reaching 16” refers to Goal sixteen of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that desires to promote just, peaceful, and inclusive societies. It also serves as a reference and dedication to ensuring youth reach the age of sixteen and beyond with the aid of stabilizing groups. As a younger changemaker, our #Reaching16 Essay Contest provides you with a completely different avenue to display your non-public experience and innovative voice with the world!

We invite written submissions, in the shape of a personal essay, that inform us about the important work you or a person is doing to make certain your community is #Reaching16. (Community may be defined as a set of people you share usual attitudes, pursuits, and desires with at the neighbourhood, district, countrywide, or worldwide stage, or in every other manner that makes feel to every author.) We will choose 16 winning essays from the submissions. With the approval of the author, the winning essays will be posted on YouthLead.Org and promoted through our YouthLead social media channels and publication. If published, we are able to use the most effective the author’s first call or a pseudonym.

Changemakers between 18-35 years of age are eligible to publish a single essay. Study underneath for contest information, instructions on how to take part, and eligibility criteria. The closing date for submission is January 15, 2021.

Good fortune—we can’t wait to read what you put up!

REQUIREMENTS
In your personal essay (800 words most) answer the subsequent questions: What are you or a person you know doing to make sure your network is #Reaching16 with peace, justice, and strong establishments? A fantastic personal essay captivates readers by sharing the writer’s authentic voice. It takes the reader into the author’s mind through descriptive words and examples as well as gives perception into the author’s passion and inspirations for being concerned in peace, justice and building robust institutions.

Format and Length
Each submission ought to have a topic and cannot be longer than 800 words. While it isn’t always obligatory, we exceedingly inspire you to upload a photograph of your self or the paintings being carried out on your community.

Language
Essays may be written in English, Spanish, or French. No different languages might be used.

Every Entry Must Meet The Subsequent Submission Requirements:

Who May Enter
The competition is open to all participants of the public who are:

• Residents of low-and center-profits nations (LMICs) as listed right here;
• aged 18-35 and;
• contributors of YouthLead with a member profile that is at least 80 percent whole. Becoming a member of YouthLead is simple and free. All Entrants ought to be efficiently registered on YouthLead. As registration may additionally take numerous days to pricess, all YouthLead.Org registration requests ought to be submitted at the least four business days previous to the end of the submission day to ensure well timed approval for getting into the contest.

Build your profile in English here or in Spanish right here. (Please note: even as we allow submission of private essays in French, we do not have a separate French registration or submission page). YouthLead.Org registration requests must be submitted at the least two commercial enterprise days (January 13, 2021) prior to the closing date of the entry to make sure well timed approval for entering the contest.

Note: USAID workforce and employees of YouthPower2: learning and evaluation Sponsors, and YouthPower2: learning and assessment’s prime- and subcontractors are not eligible to enter or win. Modern YouthLead Ambassadors or YouthLead Ambassador Advisors are also now not allowed to participate.

Other Submission Requirements
1. All written submissions should be the authentic work of the Entrant (this is, written by way of the Entrant her/himself).

2. All entries need to be submitted right here. (Submissions in French or Spanish will even use the identical link because the English submissions. You could use “choose Language” in the upper right-hand corner to your screen to translate the submission web page to French or Spanish).

3. By using entering the YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest, Entrants agree and acknowledge that Making Cents International, the implementer of YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE), is permitted to acquire and overview the Entrant’s registration information. All personal statistics can be utilized by YP2LE according with the privateness coverage on YouthLead.Org and the YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest guidelines.

4. Written portions must have been evolved among December 7, 2020 and the competition closing date of January 15, 2021. Entries which have been published on other platforms or prior publications will now not be taken into consideration.

How To Enter

Step 1:  Register on YouthLead (visit Step 2 in case you are already a member!)
All applicants ought to be registered on YouthLead.Org before you can submit your contest application. YouthLead.Org registration requests have to be submitted as a minimum business days (January 13, 2021) prior to the end of the entry period to ensure well timed approval for getting into the competition. Create your profile in English here or in Spanish here.

Step 2: Log into YouthLead
Collaborating is easy! Go to the “Events” page, and click on on “Announcing the YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest” to start your contest submission. (publish here in English, Spanish or French). Entrants may put up a maximum of one access (both one personal essay).

Step 3:  Enter Your Text
Either type the text within the respective submission space or copy and paste the textual content. You could use bolding, italics, and underlining to layout your textual content. Please be aware that the maximum word remember is 800 words.

Step 4: Pick The Language In Which You Submit Your Entry
Choose both English, French or Spanish. No other languages can be typical.

Step 5:  Accept The Terms and Conditions and Hit Submit.

Selection Procedure
1. Entries that do not meet the submission standards for the competition and/or written formats will be excluded.

2. Choices of the Judging Panel are final and aren’t subject to appeal.

3. This is a skillbased based contest and chance plays no part within the determination of the winners.

Third Party Releases
If the written submission consists of any material or elements that are not owned through the Entrant and/or which might be subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any person appears inside the written submission, the Entrant is answerable for obtaining, prior to submission, any and all releases and consents necessary. If any person acting as a topic in any written submission is underneath the age of majority of their kingdom/province/territory of house the Entrant is responsible for getting the approval, on each release, of a parent or legal guardian.

NB: You need to log-in to the website for you to get admission to the submission form.
Judging Criteria
The Selection Committee will examine the personal essays based on the following standards (“Judging criteria”):

• Voice and Power

• Experience and Engagement

• Inspiration

• Impact

Voice and Power (30%)
Voice: Does the author’s “voice” come through inside the essay? Does the reader have a higher knowledge of who the writer is as a person?

Power: Is the writing expressive? As an instance, does the writing seize emotion(s)?

Experience and Engagement (20%) – Does the essay help the reader to better recognize or connect with the writers’ experience? Does it hold the reader engaged or wanting to find out extra?

Inspire (25%) – Does the essay inspire the reader to want to research extra or take motion?

Impact (25%) – Does the essay capture the impactful paintings being done in the author’s network?

The sixteen winning submissions might be published at YouthLead.Org and promoted via our YouthLead social media channels and newsletter.
Sponsor
The Sponsor of the YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest (“Contest”) is YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation, a project funded via the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented through Making Cents International.

Entry Length
The YouthLead #Reaching16 Essay Contest starts on Monday, December 7, 2020, and ends January 15, 2021, at 6 P.M., Eastern Standard Time (the “Entry period”). Submissions should be made online. No mailed or emailed entries (digital or hard reproduction) will be accepted.

Extra details and application here.