Hey students, imagine you are president! Give us a speech and you could win

Knoxville students, help us celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary! We want you to hear about your vision for America.

USA TODAY has partnered with SUNN, a nonprofit publishing the nation’s best student journalism, to launch Make Your Speech. We’re asking young Americans to imagine they’ve just been elected as president and they’re delivering their first inaugural address. We want to be inspired, educated and motivated by their agenda for the next four years – and called together across political divides.

We’re not just looking for great performances from young presidents, we’re looking for bold ideas, provocative questions, well-researched solutions and a unifying vision for the future.

This contest is an opportunity for the rising generation

and a way for adults to learn from the dreams, worries and priorities of young voices that often go unheard.

Make Your Speech contest facts 

• To enter, students or a parent/guardian submit a 2-3 minute video of the student delivering an inaugural presidential address and the written text of the speech via the submissions portal.  
• Entrants must be in grades 5-12. A parent/guardian must submit for students aged 12 and younger. 
• The contest portal closes at at the end of the day on Oct. 30. 
• Entries will be judged in two categories, middle school and high school.
  • First place winners will receive $1,000
  • Second place winners: $750
  • Third place: $500

Make Your Speech contest guidelines

Please click herefor the full contest guidelines.

Speech requirements

• Write it yourself − no AI allowed for drafting or outlining
• May use AI to:
  • Find sources (verify them yourself!)
  • Practice delivery and get feedback on speaking skills
  • Create video effects (backgrounds, music, title screens)

Video requirements

• Film yourself delivering the speech on camera in horizontal view (real person, no AI-generated likeness)
• Upload video to cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive or Proton Drive)
• Set sharing to "Anyone with the link can view" (not fully public)
• Provide the link in the submission portal
• Speeches written in a language other than English must include an English translation

Caitlyn Meisner is the K-12 education reporter for Knox News. Email tips and story ideas to [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Hey students, imagine you are president! Give us a speech and you could win