Speak Up
Tell world leaders what you think needs to happen to save the environment.
Prizes
- Grand prize:
- $2,500
- Second place:
- $1,000
- Third place:
- $500
- 350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund
Matching total prize donations to benefit 350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Feb 17, 2020
Submissions closed
Mar 13, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Mar 20, 2020
Prizes
- Grand prize:
- $2,500
- Second place:
- $1,000
- Third place:
- $500
- 350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund
Matching total prize donations to benefit 350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Feb 17, 2020
Submissions closed
Mar 13, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Mar 20, 2020
About this challenge
Australia is burning, Antarctica is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and politicians are mocking the young activists speaking out. It’s time for something to change.
Enter the Speak Up challenge to tell world leaders what you stand for and what you think needs to happen to save the environment.
How to enter
- Get inspired to make a change and start creating your story—here’s how: https://shopping-review.top/resources/step-4-create-your-first-story%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.
- When submitting your story for review, select “Submit to a Challenge” and select “Speak Up.”
- When your story has been approved, it will appear under Submissions on this page.
- BONUS: Share your published story on Instagram and tag us (@vocal_creators) so we don’t miss it! Encourage your friends and fans to read it and give it a like on Vocal—it could give your story a leg up in judging.
About this Challenge
We want to hear what you have to say. We’re asking creators to write an open letter to a political figure or world leader about the environment—ask them to take a stand for the planet, share the steps you think we should all be taking to be more eco-friendly, or even write to a leader you admire telling them something you feel that they’re doing right for the climate.
Enter the Speak Up Challenge for a chance to win prizes of $500, $1,000, or $2,500. Plus, we’ll match all three prize amounts and donate to each winner's choice of 350.org, NRDC, or Environmental Defense Fund.
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until March 12, 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration.
To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or third place prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these 35 countries will not be eligible to win.
You can find the Official Rules for this Challenge here.
Open challenges
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Challenge resources
Mismatch Challenge Winners
Blending genres isn’t about stacking elements side by side. It’s about what happens when two sets of expectations refuse to cooperate. The strongest entries in the Mismatch Challenge understood that tension and leaned into it. Rather than smoothing the edges, these stories let their chosen genres complicate one another, creating friction that carried through voice, structure, and consequence.
By Vocal Curation Team15 days ago in Resources
Public Announcement Challenge Winners
For the Public Announcement Challenge, writers were asked to work inside voices built for control. These were notices, warnings, and updates meant to inform rather than confess. The strongest entries committed to that form and didn't break from it. Corporate memos, formal government alerts, and internal policy language were held consistently, allowing emotion, fear, grief, or humor to surface indirectly through pressure rather than declaration. The following poems recognize the voice of authority, and let human feeling slip through despite all its rules and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team20 days ago in Resources
