Speak Up

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://vocal.media/resources/step-4-create-your-first-story.
• 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.

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.