Make Your Speech contest rules: What to know before kids enter to win

Here's a quick look at the rules and guidelines for this year's Make Your Speech contest:

• Grades 5–8 or 9–12 
• Must be at least 13 years old to submit your own entry
• Ages 12 or younger: parent/guardian must submit for you
• U.S. residents only

Speech Requirements

• Write it yourself — no AI allowed for drafting or outlining
• Original writing only, must follow copyright law
• No hate speech, discrimination, or advocacy of violence
• May use AI to:
  • Find sources (verify them yourself!)
  • Practice delivery & get feedback on speaking skills
  • Create video effects (backgrounds, music, title screens)

Video Submission Rules

• 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

OFFICIAL RULES & GUIDELINES: Make Your Speech 

Disclosures:

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. SUNN + USA TODAY CONTESTS ARE INTENDED FOR PARTICIPATION BY U.S. RESIDENTS AND WILL BE GOVERNED BY U.S. LAW. DO NOT ENTER IF YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

Contestant Rules and Eligibility:

• Make Your Speech contestants MUST be middle or high school students at a public, independent, charter, home, religious, or micro school and be in grades 5 through 12.
• Students must be at least 13 years old to submit their own entry. Middle school contestants aged 12 or younger must get a parent or legal guardian to submit on their behalf.
• Prizes will be administered within two categories for prizes: grades 5-8 and grades 9-12. See prize details below.
• Your speech may be disqualified if it contains content that is discriminatory, advocates violence, hate speech, or visual depictions of hate speech. 
• The speech must be the student’s original writing and must follow copyright law.
• You may not enter a contest if you are related to any of the judges or administrators of that contest. 
• The speech may not violate our AI Use Policy (below). These guidelines are modeled after leading student speech organizations, including All-American Model UN, Mock Trial Association, and USA Debate.

AI Use Policy

General Overview: AI may not be used to write any aspect of the speech, but it may be used to enhance production value of the video, i.e. special effects. See details below and see our social media videos for examples of acceptable use. 

• AI may not be used to outline or draft a speech.
• AI may be used to locate sources, though these sources must be further verified by the student. 
• AI may be used for practice delivering the speech and to provide feedback on public speaking skills, including emphasis and pacing. 
• Each student must be filmed delivering their own speech on camera and be physically recorded in the final submitted video. AI may not be used to generate the student’s likeness or used to smooth the words or appearance of the student.
• AI may be used to support video production (i.e., background generation, title screens, special effects, intro/outro music, etc).
• If a teacher, school, or district outlines an AI policy more restrictive than this one, that policy takes precedence for students submitting to the contest as part of a class assignment.
• Any AI use must be disclosed in the submission portal when prompted. 

Video Submissions Guidelines:

• Contestants must upload their video to a secure cloud platform and provide the viewing link in the designated question field in the submission portal.
  • Contestants will be unable to upload video files directly to the submission portal.
  • Important: The video's sharing permissions must be set to "Anyone with the link can view" so the judging panel can access it. Do not make the video fully public or searchable on the hosting platform.  
  • Recommended platforms for creating a private link include: Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Proton Drive
    • [Click here or here for details on how to create a free Google account]

• Speeches delivered in a language other than English must provide an English translation in the portal – using a web tool like Google Translate is encouraged.
• If not produced digitally or staged, it’s recommended that the speaker stand in front of a white background or blur it. 
• For support with the submission process, for alternative options, or any questions, please contact: [email protected] 
• In addition to sharing contact and school information, the link for the speech video, students will answer a series of short, optional questions about their process. 
• Incomplete submissions will not be accepted for consideration by the judges. 

Child Privacy Laws and COPPA Compliance:

• To ensure full compliance with privacy regulations regarding minors, the following submission rules apply:
  • Under 13 Restriction: In accordance with child privacy laws, students aged 12 or younger are strictly prohibited from submitting their own entry or creating accounts to host the video. A parent or legal guardian must host the video and submit the form on the child's behalf.
  • Ages 13 and Older: Students who are at least 13 years old may host their own video and submit their own entry.
  • Verification: Age and parent/guardian permissions will be thoroughly verified for all finalists before any public announcements or prize distributions. 

Contest Categories:

• Grades 5-8 and 9-12.

Advancing to Finals:

• All contest entries will be reviewed by a committee of education and media experts selected by SUNN and USA TODAY. Each entry will be assessed for audience impact, civic vision, unification, originality, and delivery, as outlined in rubric below. 
• Up to ten finalists in each Contest Category will be chosen by this committee, after which the judges will choose the winners among these finalists. 
• If a contestant is among the group chosen to move to the finals, they and/or their parent/guardian will be contacted by email at the email address they used to enter the contest to verify their name and age.
• Contestants chosen and notified that they’ve moved into the finals may have their submission showcased on national media outlets. SUNN and USA TODAY reserve the right to include submissions for press features.
• A chosen panel of judges will select the winners from the group of finalists. 
• Contestants will be encouraged to let their friends, fans, and family know about the contest via social media channels.

Make Your Speech Contest Scoring Rubric

Judges will evaluate the speech as written (its content) and its performance (its delivery). 

Prize Winners:

• Prize winners will be announced on SUNN and USA TODAY’s website and social channels. They will also be notified directly via email.
• Prize winners in each of the two categories will be awarded a $1000 check for 1st place, a $750 check for 2nd place, and a $500 check for 3rd place. If winners are tied in a category, prize money will be evenly split.
• Finalists will be required to submit proof of eligibility. 
• Finalists’ parents/guardians will be asked to give consent for student interviews with USA TODAY journalists and social media teams. 
• Prizes will be mailed by check to the winners after confirmation of eligibility. 
• Prize winners are responsible for paying income tax, as required by law.

Promotional Terms:

• By submitting to this contest, the contestant agrees that their entry can be used in promotional materials and campaigns for current and future use by SUNN and USA TODAY for an unlimited period of time. This includes but is not limited to broadcast media, print, and social media use. 
• Contestants retain the rights to their intellectual property.

Intellectual Property Rights:

• SUNN and USA TODAY respect artists’ copyrights and copyrights shall remain vested with the contestant.
• Winning contestants hereby grant a non-exclusive license to promote each submission in all media, including, but not limited to, the social media accounts of SUNN, USA TODAY, Contest Judges and Partners and on the organization’s websites (sunnpost.com and usatoday.com). We may also display the submissions at educational exhibitions organized and in materials in print and online promotional materials
• SUNN may sub-license the winning submissions to the press for reproduction in connection with the Contest. Winning submissions may be published, in full or in part, on the platforms and social media channels of SUNN partners
• Submitted videos must be original, created and/or recorded by the contestant. They must not contain any materials owned or controlled by a third party for which you have not obtained a license, must not infringe on the copyright, trademark, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity.
• The contestant will be credited wherever the video is used.

SUNN Inc. is a Tennessee nonprofit corporation and is in the process of filing for tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3). Its mission is to promote, sustain and increase the knowledge & understanding of civics and civic engagement for young Americans.