For Release: Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Contest is open to high school students across the U.S. and submissions will be accepted through April 15, 2019
Washington, DC — The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today announced the launch of the 2018 Youth Against Gun Violence Scholarship Film Contest. The national competition, which is now accepting video/film entries from high-schoolers across America, seeks to amplify the voices of teens facing the reality of gun violence and the growing movement among young people to reduce gun death and injury.
“The tragic reality of gun violence in American is that no one is spared,” states VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann. “We’re looking for young people to share their views through video or film, whether they’ve been directly impacted by gun violence, know someone who has been, or simply want to make their voices heard.”
Young people are among those most impacted by gun violence in the United States. In 2016, 3,078 children and teens died from gunfire in suicides, homicides, and unintentional deaths. That same year, 17,223 Americans under the age of 20 were injured by guns.
The contest, open to high school students ages 14 and older, will accept submissions until April 15, 2019 through the VPC’s contest website. Videos should be no more than three minutes in length. A panel of judges will evaluate the submissions and announce a winner on May 15, 2018.
The winning video will be judged on content detailing the negative effects of firearms violence on youth and/or the positive actions youth are taking to reduce gun death and injury. Innovativeness, originality, and overall production quality and aesthetics will also be factors in choosing a winner.
The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship. The second-place winner will receive a $500 scholarship, and the third-place winner will receive a $300 scholarship.
For full contest details and rules, visit the VPC’s contest website at http://vpc.org/contest/.
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
