WORDS FOR THE WORLD is a competition for high school students in Australia who are passionate about contemporary issues and social justice. We want to read about what you care about; in a short story, an essay, or any other form of written media.
We run on a monthly basis with a new stimulus phrase for every month. Works do not need to use the phrase explicitly, however there will be an award category for entries that creatively incorporate it.
WRITE
WHAT
MATTERS
JANUARY PRIZES
Stand up, Stand out
The stimulus phrase for January is Stand up, Stand out. You can interpret this however you want as long as you are writing about a contemporary issue that matters to you. The most important part about this competition is giving an opportunity for young people to speak up about their concerns for the future and allowing these critically valuable insights to be heard in our communities.
​
The nature of this competition means that there is a fee to submit an entry, HOWEVER if you are unable to pay this we are very willing to make exceptions. We don't want anyone's voice to be ignored, especially because of an issue like this, so please reach out to us using our details on the Contact us page and we will respond within 24 hours. All of the money generated by the competition will go towards a charitable donation, decided upon by the monthly winners. More about this works is outlined below.
​
Listed below are the four different prizes available for this competition and the criteria to achieve each one. If there is significant engagement we will also release a list of Marker's Mentions for texts that were outstanding, inspiring and captivating.
Overall Best Entry
Insightful Perspective
Award for the best overall entry, deemed by the judges based on composition, perspective and integration of Stand up, Stand out.
- $100 prize and Collective Donation decision role
Award for the entry with the most insightful perspective on a contemporary issue. Deemed by the judges based on the integration of personal voice in the submission.
- $70 prize and Collective Donation decision role
Stand up, Stand out Award
Innovative Approach
Award for the entry that provides the most innovative approach for a contemporary issue. Deemed by the judges based on how the submission approaches potential solutions or nuanced issues.
- $70 prize and Collective Donation decision role
Award for the entry that integrates the theme Stand up, Stand out the most creatively and effectively.
- $70 prize and Collective Donation decision role
All the money collected by the submissions is put into a fund called the Collective donation fund. At the end of the month when the winners are announced we organise a meeting with them to allow them to decide what charitable cause the fund will go towards.
​
The primary aim of WORDS FOR THE WORLD is to inspire and incite young people to take action on issues they care about and giving them the autonomy to collectively decide where profits should be going is one of the central ways that we do this.