State of Global Youth: Creative Design Challenge!

Do you have a creative vision for what our world can be? A bold idea on the future of education or work? A new take on how our relationships and spaces have evolved in recent years? We want to hear it!

We’re launching the State of Global Youth Creative Design Challenge to uplift the vision of youth creatives like you.

The Challenge is part of the State of Global Youth Report, which will capture the values, priorities, skills, and needs of youth. The Report serves as both a statement on youth priorities today, as well as a call-to-action for youth leaders and those who support them. And true to our mission, it will be implemented by youth.

Youth are invited to submit an original creative piece in any medium, that engages with one of the following themes:

• Youth involved in decision-making around public policies and budgets;
• Youth as leaders, with agency and support to build skills;
• Youth involved in addressing global issues;
• Youth as a community and movement ready to lead us to a better future;
• Future of education, given these past few years;
• Future of relationships, given these past few years;
• Future of workplaces, given these past few years;

Each of these prompts should reflect a vision of what can be, more than paint the problem of what exists now. These pieces will be used to mobilize, inspire and uplift our network.

If you have a unique way of expressing story, culture, and experience through design that you feel the world needs to hear, submit now.

More on the State of Global Youth Report:

The Report explores which issues youth care about the most, and how they believe change can happen. We’re discussing how youth are engaged in decision making processes, and how they want to be. We’re mapping the skills and experiences youth want, to be the leaders we need. And we’re envisioning what the future of education, work, and relationships.

This is the 20th anniversary year for AMP Global Youth. Founded by students at Yale after 9/11, since our earliest days we have been a champion of amplifying the youth voice around our greatest global challenges. While that broad mission endures, the interests, values and connections of youth have evolved significantly. To mark this milestone in our work, and position ourselves for our most impactful decade yet, we are taking stock of this moment, youth priorities, and our opportunity to amplify the next generation of young global leaders.

Creative Design Challenge Overview:

The Challenge will run from May to September 2023. Initial submissions are due on the 1st of every month. 3 finalists will be selected by AMP Leadership. Selected finalists will then receive $50 each to fully complete their design by the 15th of the month.

Four winners will be selected by the State of Global Youth team. Winners receive a prize of an additional $400 each, to complete their full vision. These artistic renderings of the state of global youth will be featured on all of our platforms and will also be used to issue the final recommendations and call to action to our network. Full Contest Rules here. For questions, email info@aidemocracy.org.

Dates & Deadlines:

• Submissions period launches: May 1, 2023. Submit your sketch and/or portfolio with 3-5 samples of your work here. Please include your name and email.
• Monthly Semi-Finalists Selected: June, July, August, September. Samples are reviewed and on the 1st of each month. Up to 3 semi-finalists will be invited to submit a full sketch by the 15th of the same month, for a $50 stipend. (If you are not chosen as a semi-finalist one month, your portfolio will be considered for the next month, and so on. There’s no need to re-submit).
• Monthly Finalists Selected: June, July, August, September. One finalist will be selected each month, and invited to complete their design for the final award of $400.
• Ongoing: All semi-finalists and finalists will be showcased on our website and social platforms.

Creative Design Criteria:

• You can submit in any medium you define as creative: artwork, music, writing, etc. The piece should be something that can inspire others online, i.e. be something that’s shareable and understandable by others.
• Must include the text “State of Global Youth” and the AMP Global Youth Logo. AMP Logos can be found here.
• Designers are encouraged to use colors from AMP’s official color palette, and/or colors that will sync with that palette. Hex codes are as follows: AMP Blue – #3100FF; AMP Teal – #25DDC8; AMP Red – #FF2F57; AMP White – #F5F5F5; AMP Black – #333333; and AMP Yellow – #FFB600.
• We would like 1 design with a full colorway for digital promotion & stickers. A two-color variation may be accepted if essential for the design.
• Final format should be high resolution, print-ready.
• Max height and width is 11” x 11”.
• Your design should communicate the unique power and vision of youth in this moment. Original imagery or additional words are permitted.
• All Finalists must submit their Designs in both PDF and PNG formatted files by email on one of the deadlines indicated above.

Find official rules on our website here.