Let Your Choice Be Heard - World AIDS Day Youth Leadership Challenge
In honor of World AIDS Day, Life Foundation is organizing a statewide contest among youth aged 13-24.
All projects must address the theme: “Let Your Choice Be Heard,” and focus on the choices young adults make that affect their chances of contracting HIV. For example – "I made the choice to get tested" or "I made the choice to use be safe".
The Youth Leadership Challenge is ultimately a challenge of expression. Youth are invited to submit their project in their chosen form of expression. Four mediums are accepted: essay, poetry, artwork and media, with students split into high-school (9-12 grade) and college (participants aged 18-24). Participants do not need to be enrolled in high school or college to participate as long as they meet the age requirements.
According to statistics provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least half of new infections are found among youth under the age of 25. As a result, almost 12 million young adults are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Through participating in this challenge it is hoped that students will learn more about the issue as well as how youth can be part of stopping the disease. As the Global Youth Coalition states, “young people are most effective at changing the risk behaviors of their peers and at shaping a better future for themselves and their families.”
Entries are due by November 20, 2009.
Ready to get started? Click here to download the Youth Leadership Challenge information packet and registration forms
To submit your project and registration forms online, please fill out the form below. If you would like to mail in your project and forms, send them to Melanie Moore, Life Foundation, 677 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 226, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.
If you have any questions, contact Melanie Moore at 521-2437 ext. 252 or mmoore@lifefoundation.org.
