The Education Action Team of the League of Women
Voters of Sarasota (LWVSRQ) in partnership with
Sarasota County Public Schools, is sponsoring an essay,
2D artwork and video contest, “YVOTE”, for high school
students who will share their thoughts on this year's
theme, "Your Vote is Your Voice". All students in
Sarasota County’s public charter and district public high
schools are eligible to enter, regardless of whether they
are yet able to register to vote. Students will work
independently on their entries, and the contest is not
part of classroom activities or assignments.
The writer(s) of the winning essay, artist(s) of the winning
2D artwork, and the producer(s) of the winning video will
each receive a prize of $500; second place winners in
each category will receive $300 and 3rd place winners in
each category will receive $200. If a single entry has
been created by more than one person, the prize will be
shared by the number of students who submitted that
winning entry. The deadline for submissions is October
25, 2024 and winners will be announced on November
21, 2024 on social media and elsewhere.
Essay submissions should be no longer than 500 words,
video entries cannot exceed 3 minutes, and 2D artwork
can be in any one of the three standard sizes: 24x36
(large) 16x24 (medium) and 11x17 (small). We are
looking for creative, effective, and inspirational entries
that capture issues and personal experiences. Entries
should be a call to action, describing how our vote is our
voice and why voting is important in a democracy. They
may not include endorsements or criticisms of individual
candidates or of political parties.
To download the contest application, official rules and
guidelines, and category scoring rubrics in English
Click here. To download in Spanish
Click here.
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan,
non-profit organization with a history of promoting
informed voter participation and enhanced citizen
engagement. With these goals in mind, LWVSRQ
members have been active for many years, conducting
voter registration drives and providing voter education
opportunities. Our focus on Sarasota’s high schools and
newly eligible voters inspires the “YVOTE” contest. We
hope this contest allows us to carry that message and
enthusiasm to an even wider audience.
THE LWVSRQ YVOTE CONTEST
IS FULLY FUNDED BY
GULF COAST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION