Speak up for those who can’t

Deadline: May 31; Award: Up to $500

The words you write or record can make others more aware of their needs.

The words you write or record can make others more aware of their needs.

The 32nd annual ”Voice for Animals” contest is supported by a partnership between the Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Education Network with additional support from the Palo Alto Humane Society.

Please read the Official Rules and Advice for Participants before preparing your submission! Submit your entry online using the form linked here.

Prizes up to a total of $5900* will be awarded to high school students whose entries best promote the humane treatment of animals. *We reserve the right to adjust the number of prizes and the amounts of the prizes based on the entries received.

The competition has sections for 14-15 year old students and sections for 16-18 year old students. The contest is also open to ESL (English as a Second Language) students. We accept submissions from countries worldwide.

Participants must currently be enrolled in middle or high school, or be home-schooled, and less than 19 years of age on January 31, 2022. No exceptions! The contest is open to all otherwise eligible students worldwide regardless of nationality, citizenship, or country of residence. You are strongly advised to read all the rules and advice for participants!

Optional Category for 2022

For this year’s contest, we invite you to consider how alternative energy affected terrestrial and marine wildlife, and what improvements can be made to protect these animals. Although alternative energy is generally less destructive to the environment than extractive energies, such as oil and coal, it is important to think about the impact that both traditional and alternative energies have on animals. We will accept entries on this topic for any of the submission types: 14-15 year old essay,16-18 year old essay, 16-18 year old essay with photos, or 16-18 year old video.

If you wish to submit a joint project, a group of up to four students can contribute to the project. Only one member of the group should submit the entry form and the names of other group members must be included just one time on the project itself.

Your submission must:

  • be the original work of the creator or creators;
  • show clearly which animal issue you chose to address and why;
  • show what you have done to help remedy this issue;
  • include accurate citations of any quotes or references used in your presentation

Please note, for video submissions you must have explicit permission to use any footage, animation, music or photography you use.

Advice for Participants

The judges offer the following advice based on entries from earlier contests:

  • Read the rules! Every year we disqualify a number of entries because they did not follow the rules.
  • If your entry is an essay the judges will look for:
    • Clear, in-depth examination of the chosen topic
    • Original and/or practicable solutions to the issue
    • Use of a variety of credible sources to support your essay (please do not use Wikipedia)
    • A well-organized structure including opening and closing paragraphs
    • Careful attention to grammar and spelling
  • If your entry is an essay with photos the judges will look for:
    • Clear, in-depth examination of the chosen topic
    • Original and/or practicable solutions to the issue
    • Use of a variety of credible sources to support your essay (please do not use Wikipedia)
    • A well-organized structure including opening and closing paragraphs
    • Careful attention to grammar and spelling
    • Photos that enhance the essay
  • If your entry is a video the judges will look for:
    • Clear, and in-depth examination of the chosen topic
    • Original and/or practicable solutions to the issue
    • Good quality video with clear audio that keeps the viewers’ attention
    • An inspiring call to action encouraging others to get involved
  • Please utilize either the MLA or APA styles to format and cite your sources For help with acceptable formatting and styles, check out  https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/resources.html
  • The judges will take an especially harsh view of plagiarism. Don’t do it! Cite all your sources. We do check.
  • ESSENTIAL: Learn from previous winners!  Visit our home page and the submissions of previous winners. Look at their entries to see how they stand out.
  • Make sure the file or URL you submit is your actual entry! Each year we receive files which are clearly not the author’s essay file. Due to the number of essays submitted we are unlikely to have time to contact you about your mistake.

For more information and detailed guidelines for each contest, visit https://www.hennet.org/contest.php.