I am Minnesota's Future! -- Video Contest Information

* * Update 4/21/08: Submission process is now closed. Decisions are currently being made about the finalist videos, and will be announced soon on this site. Contest information will continue to be available on this page. * *

In May of 2008, Minnesota will celebrate a big birthday—150 years of statehood! But YOU are the future of Minnesota. You will inherit the results of decisions that adults make (or fail to make) today that affect Minnesota’s future. What kind of state do you want to live in when you’re an adult? And what do you think ought to be done to make sure that happens? What do today’s young people have to contribute to this future?

First prize is a $150 Best Buy Gift Card and a Sony MPEG 4 Memory Stick Duo Camcorder. There are also prizes for second and third place.

Scroll down to read all the contest details, or use the links below to jump around.

• WHO MAY ENTER?
• PRIZES AND PUBLICATIONS
• HOW TO PARTICIPATE
• IMPORTANT DETAILS
• WHO ARE THE JUDGES, AND WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

Any individual or group (including middle and high school classes or groups affiliated with extracurricular programs) living in Minnesota between the ages of 12 (or in middle school) and 19. Multiple submissions are allowed as described in the Rules and Regulations.

Prizes

First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in two categories—one set of prizes for individual entries and another set for group entries.

First Place: $150 Best Buy Gift Card and a Sony MPEG 4 Memory Stick Duo Camcorder (Note: this popular and hard to get compact camera captures high-quality digital video and allows you broadcast it live to your friends and family over the Web). Winning videos will be viewed at Citizens League Annual Meeting (attended by over 350 citizens and state policy leaders), displayed at the State Fair, shared with the state legislature for consideration, and possibly broadcast on local television.

Second Place: $100 Best Buy Gift Card. Winning videos will be viewed at Citizens League Annual Meeting.

Third Place: $75 Best Buy Gift Card.

Who will see the videos?

We know from listening to you in the past that "who" will see and consider your insights is the most exciting prize of all. In addition to the judging panel, and all students and adults who view your work on StudentsSpeakOut.org, here’s what will happen with the winning videos:

• A panel of distinguished judges will review the top 10 videos.
• The Citizens League will show at least the first and second place winners in each prize category at its annual meeting in October 2008. This meeting is attended by over 350 influential Minnesotans who can make a difference based on what you communicate. A video shown by an SSO Member was the highlight of the meeting last year, and the organization can’t wait to hear from you again this year.
• We are working to arrange that at least the first place videos in each category will be broadcast on a local television station for Minnesota’s May birthday, at the Minnesota State Fair, and in other venues. Whether this happens somewhat depends on YOU! If the videos are of good quality (and at SSO we KNOW you are capable of EXCELLENT quality), these partners are more likely to show the videos.
• First place videos in each category will be shown on the StudentsSpeakOut.org main page throughout May to celebrate Minnesota’s 150th Birthday!

1. Read our Rules & Regulations document (PDF).
   If you are under 18, you must have your parent or guardian read it and agree to it.
2. Make your video (180 seconds or less, and 100MB or less).
   IMPORTANT: You must demonstrate that you have permission to use copyrighted materials (like music, logos you did not blur out (like on hats and shirts), etc.) or you will not be eligible to win the contest. If in doubt about whether something is copyrighted, we suggest you don't use it.
3. Sign and send in consent and release form(s).
   All people who produce and/or appear in the video must print, sign, and send in a release form and, if under 18, a parent must also sign. These must be postmarked by April 21, 2008 for your video to be eligible for prizes. To get the release form, click here.
4. Create a StudentsSpeakOut.org account if you don't already have one.
   Click "Sign Up" on the right hand side of the main page. Make sure you get parent or guardian permission before setting up your account. Once you’ve signed onto StudentsSpeakOut.org, click "Groups" on the navigation bar. Join the "I am Minnesota’s Future" Group.
5. Upload your video to StudentsSpeakOut.org:
   Visit the Video Upload Page to upload your video. IMPORTANT: Be sure to save your Submission in the original format after uploading it to Students Speak Out. If you are a winner, you will need to provide the Citizens League with your Submission in its original format in order for the Submission to be valid.
6. Post your video in the "I am Minnesota’s Future" Group on SSO:
   Go to your My Page, find the "Videos" box on the left side of the page, and click on the video you just uploaded. You'll be taken to a new page where you can watch your video. To the right of the video you will see a grey button that says "Embed". Click this button, and copy the embedding code. Go to the "I Am Minnesota’s Future" group page and click "Start a Discussion" (by the green plus sign). Type in the title of your video and, in the discussion text box, paste the embedding code. When you hit "Start Discussion", your video will appear on the group page.
7. Email us at videocontest@map150.org and let us know that you've entered the contest.
   Please send us the true names of all people who produced the video (your name or a group of names), your ages, and the username of the SSO account holder who posted the video. IMPORTANT FOR GROUP ENTRIES: Any group of individuals that collaborates on a Submission constitutes a "group entry". The individuals in the group are required to designate one (1) representative to enter the Contest and accept the prize on behalf of the group. This person should submit the email.
8. Use our automatic emailer form to let all your friends know about the contest.
9. There will be two judging panels.
   One will be made up of SSO Student Leaders who will be responsible for selecting the top 5-10 videos from each category. The 5-10 videos will then be reviewed by a panel of "final round judges"—high profile adults from Minnesota who want to hear what you have to say! Ratings and comments on SSO will be considered by the judges.
10. The winners will be announced the week of May 12th, 2008. Check StudentsSpeakOut.org regularly for details.

Entries deadline: All entries must be posted on SSO, and emailed to videocontest@map150.org, by April 21th, 2008.

Size: Video entries must be 180 seconds or less, and no more than 100MB.

Format: Videos from digital cameras, camcorders, and phones are all acceptable if they're in .mov, .mpg, .avi, .wmv and .3gp format. Please avoid filming any copyrighted material such as music, logo-apparel, etc. If you elect to use copyrighted material, please be prepared to cite it accurately and, if necessary, to demonstrate you have permission to use it, if you are selected as a prize-winner.

Using copyrighted material: You must demonstrate that you have permission to use copyrighted materials (like music, logos you did not blur out (like on hats and shirts), etc.) or you will not be eligible to win the contest. If in doubt about whether something is copyrighted, we suggest you don't use it.

Language: Any entries not in English should have subtitles.

Official Rules: Click here to read the offical rules & regulations.

The Judges

A panel of StudentsSpeakOut.org student leaders will screen the videos and select the top 10 for judges to review. The judges include:

• Scott Croonquist, Executive Director, Association of Metropolitan School Districts
• Bill Hanley, Executive Vice President, Twin Cities Public Television
• Peter Kirschman, Americorps member working with Saint Paul Neighborhood Network’s youth media program - Set It Up!
• Representative Kate Knuth, Minnesota State House, District 50B
• Jane Leonard, Executive Director, Minnesota Sesquicentennial
• Emily Mercer, Community Technology Empowerment Project at Intermedia Arts
• Alberto Monserrate, President CEO, Latino Communications Network (LCN Media)
• Anita Patel, Racial Justice and Public Policy Program Manager, YWCA-Minneapolis

What the judges are looking for:

The best videos will express your unique opinion, clearly describe what you want to be different/better and offer your ideas for HOW Minnesota’s leaders might change things.

SHOW leaders the problem you want them to address. (Like a dirty lake or an endangered animal or a park or stadium or anything else that needs improvement. Or an interview with a homeless person, a military family or soldier, a school drop out, a classroom of students talking about the impact of standardized tests on their education, an immigrant, an unemployed person, a sick person without health insurance, or something else).

CLEARLY AND CREATIVELY DESCRIBE what you want to change and HOW leaders could do it. Perhaps you want to call for change via a poetry or music performance that you capture on video. Maybe you want to do a photo montage. Maybe you want to do all the talking, or maybe you want to cast your friends to do a skit. Maybe you want to do something completely different than any of this! The choice is yours.

You write it. You cast it. You direct and shoot it.

You have total creative control.