Submit by March 22, 2024

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The winners have been announced!

Every year, we hold a video contest to give your students an opportunity to express themselves and win great prizes. This year, we’re giving away over $12,000.

Students will have four topics to choose from, allowing them to tackle the subject that speaks to them the most.

Our contest is open to students age 10-23 residing in North America, Hawaii, or at a U.S. military address.  The deadline to submit is 11:59PM Eastern on Friday, March 22, 2024. Students may submit their videos to us directly, or have them submitted by a teacher or parent.

Winners will be announced in May 2024. For topics and complete rules, see below.

STUDENT SUBMISSION FORM

TEACHER SUBMISSION FORM

• FIRST PLACE – College Division: $2,500

• FIRST PLACE – High School Division: $2,500

• FIRST PLACE – Middle School Division: $2,500

• SECOND PLACE – College Division: $1,000

• SECOND PLACE – High School Division: $1,000

• SECOND PLACE – Middle School Division: $1,000

• 10 FINALISTS – $200 each (selected among the top 10 videos in each division)

• For each submission, you’ll receive an entry into a drawing for one of ten $50 Amazon gift cards.

• If you reach 30 submissions, you’ll receive a guaranteed $50 Amazon gift card.

• The teacher with the most submissions will receive a $150 Amazon gift card.

• Entries in our Essay Contest count, too!

 

Do your students prefer writing essays to making videos?

Our Essay Contest is perfect for them!

Teachers and students may choose from any one of these four topics. Find the one that suits your class best, or let your students decide for themselves.

The Housing Shortage:
Causes, Solutions, and the Role of Government

 

In recent decades, many communities have observed a swift rise in housing prices that outpaces inflation. As homes become less affordable, more families struggle to find suitable housing, and some even face homelessness.

Delve into the complexities of the housing market. In a 1-3 minute video,  present a comprehensive understanding of the current concerns with housing in America and discuss your perspective on the best paths forward.

  • Explore the main causes of the increase in housing prices.
  • Propose practical solutions that can help alleviate the housing shortage and make homes more affordable.
  • Discuss the role of the government in this situation: Has its involvement been beneficial or detrimental? Do you believe there should be more or less government intervention? Why/Why not?

Your submission should be well-researched, and you are encouraged to incorporate real-world examples, statistics, and credible references. 

You might want to look at the following videos to help you get started:

Ticket Dynamics:
Unveiling the Economics of Concert Tours

 

When artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé embark on concert tours, there’s more to the story than just their performances. The intricacies of ticketing—ranging from pricing strategies to consumer experiences—are influenced by factors such as supply and demand, industry dynamics, and regulatory considerations. In addition, such concerts create opportunities for other vendors such as nail salons, hair stylists, and fan merchandise creators and sellers.

In a 1-3 minute video, navigate the economic landscape and opportunities of major concert tours. You may want to consider one or more of the following:

  • The factors that influence concert ticket pricing. Why do prices vary between geographic locations, seat locations, and artists’ popularity?
  • The role of official ticket platforms and third-party resellers. How can they impact consumer experience and pricing?
  • The economic impact on communities and host cities. 
  • The debate over government intervention in ticketing. Should there be regulations on pricing, resales, or monopolistic behaviors? How might those regulations benefit or harm artists and concertgoers?

Support your essay with data, personal anecdotes, fan feedback, and pertinent news insights to provide a well-rounded perspective on the topic.

You might want to look at the following videos to help you get started:

My Vision for 2024:
Presidential Campaign Priorities

 

With each presidential election, candidates present their visions for the nation’s future. They spotlight pressing issues and propose solutions, aiming to resonate with voters and highlight their leadership qualities.

Imagine you are running for president in 2024. In a 1-3 minute video:

  • Which three issues would you prioritize as president?  
  • Discuss the significance of each priority and why it’s crucial for the nation’s progress.

Utilize compelling arguments and data to support your positions, and present a cohesive vision for the future to inspire, inform, and persuade America’s voters. 

Unsure of where you stand politically on important issues? Use the world’s smallest political quiz to find out. You might also want to explore our ‘Both Sides of the Issues’ installments. These pieces delve into key topics, presenting balanced viewpoints that can guide your selection of campaign priorities.

The Path Forward:
Evaluating U.S. Energy Policy

 

Energy is essential, impacting everything from the lights in our homes to the cars on our roads. Now, the U.S. is at an energy crossroads. There are debates about who should decide what energy sources we have, how we heat our homes, power our cars, even how we cook. Included in those debates are questions about reliability, cleanliness, and affordability.

In a 1-3 minute persuasive video, address the following points:

  • Briefly describe the U.S. federal energy policy. What are its goals?
  • Examine the tradeoffs between promoting innovative green energy technologies and ensuring a stable, affordable, and reliable energy supply.  What are the challenges of achieving cleaner energy while ensuring it remains affordable and reliable?
  • Who should choose what energy sources we use: the federal government, individual states, or consumers and private companies?

Conclude your essay by proposing an energy policy that the federal government should adopt. 

You might want to look at the following videos to help you get started:

CONTEST RULES

All videos should specifically address one of the four Contest Topics listed above.

Eligibility – The contest is open to students in grades 5-12 and college (ages 10-23) at some point during the contest period September 14, 2023-March 22, 2024. No more than one video submission will be accepted for each student. Students may enter both the essay and video contests. Students must be located in North America, Hawaii or at a U.S. military address, and all submissions should be in English. Employees of Stossel in the Classroom, Stossel TV, and Center for Independent Thought, or any person or organization involved in the operation and/or setup of the contest, and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Previous winners of a Stossel in the Classroom first place prize are not eligible for prizes in our subsequent contests.

Video Length and Format – Videos must be no shorter than 1 minute in length and no longer than 3 minutes in length. Videos must be uploaded to somewhere accessible to others, such as YouTube, TikTok, Vimeo, or Google Drive. Make sure your video is not set to Private. You may set it to “Unlisted” on YouTube. Submissions that do not meet these requirements will be disqualified.

Deadline – Videos must be submitted no later than 11:59pm Eastern Time, March 22, 2024.

Plagiarism – All videos must be the original work of the student whose name is listed on the submission form. Using video footage, music, or graphics that exist in the public domain, fall under fair use, or for which you have obtained permission is acceptable.

Taxes – Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes on winnings.

Judges – Videos will be judged on their ability to answer the topic question in an articulate, clear, and organized manner. Stossel in the Classroom will evaluate video submissions in a fair and unbiased multi-round judging system, in which judges all use the same criteria. Judges will be selected by Stossel in the Classroom based on their backgrounds and expertise in education, media, and the subject matter. Decisions of the judges are final.

Ownership and Use – The ownership of any submission remains the property of the writer, but entry into the competition constitutes the entrant’s permission and consent, without compensation, with or without attribution, for Stossel in the Classroom, Stossel TV, and Center for Independent Thought to use, reproduce, transmit, post, distribute, adapt, edit, and/or display the submission.

TIPS FOR STUDENTS

  • Feel free to think outside the box! In our past contests, we’ve awarded prizes to videos in a variety of genres, including serious video essays, animation, comedy sketches, and even an original music performance. Find what you do best and go for it!
  • Don’t forget the 1-3 minute time requirement. Videos that are under 1 minute or over 3 minutes will be disqualified. Videos that are artificially sped up or slowed down for the purpose of meeting these requirements may be penalized.
  • Make sure your video is not set to Private. It can be set to “Unlisted” on YouTube or “Anyone with a link” on Google Drive, but if it’s set to Private, we will not be able to view it.
  • Don’t wait until the last minute to submit. It takes time to upload a video, and that time could be the difference between meeting the deadline and missing it.

For more tips, don’t miss our Video Contest Guide. It’s full of advice to help you avoid common mistakes.

If you have any questions about our contests, please email us at contests@sitc.org.

We look forward to watching your video. Good luck!