Learning to Be Heard Global Public Speaking Challenge

There's one prompt this cycle, and you have from 2 November 2026 until 10 January 2027 to answer it. It asks for a single difference you'd want to see a century from now, so pick something specific enough to explain in a minute rather than a sweeping wish for a better world. The short final question, Why?, matters as much as the change itself, because that's where your own reasons and experience come in.

• Fast forward to 100 years from now. What difference would excite you the most? Why?

You send one video of up to 60 seconds, filmed in English on a phone or laptop while you speak straight to the camera with your face visible, plus one or two written sentences saying what your idea is and why it matters to you. It's a solo entry, one per person, and Immerse says you don't need slides or editing.

The minute on camera is the easy part. In our estimate, the time goes on settling on one idea, writing a script tight enough to fit, and recording several takes until one lands under the limit, which could mean a few evenings spread over a week or two. Draft the two written sentences alongside the script, since they sum up the same idea.

Eighty percent of the score is the idea itself, split between how clearly you put it across and how original and impactful it is. The remaining 20% goes on reflection and story connection, which is your personal reason for caring. Immerse says it doesn't mark production quality, accent, fluency or confidence, so time spent on lighting or a flawless take buys you far less than time spent sharpening the idea. In practice that rewards one concrete change you can state in a sentence, backed by a moment from your own life that shows why it excites you. The full rubric is in the Competition Guide.

• Idea clarity (40%)

• Originality and impact (40%)

• Reflection and story connection (20%)

Start with the free Competition Guide, which you get by registering interest on the challenge page. It includes the full judging rubric, examples, recording tips and reminder emails, so read the rubric before you settle on an idea and check your draft against it.

Immerse's competition tips add five short pointers: choose one clear idea, keep the language simple, make it personal, record somewhere quiet with good light and sound, and end on your key message. To see the range of ideas that have won, Immerse has published write-ups of 2026 winners, including A Youth-Centred Homelessness Solution and Analog Zones in Public Spaces.

• Competition Guide
• Competition tips
• A Youth-Centred Homelessness Solution
• Analog Zones in Public Spaces

The prize is a full or partial scholarship to TED Summer School in summer 2027, not cash. It's a two-week course run by Immerse with a curriculum co-designed by TED-Ed, and it ends with you giving your own TED-style talk to a live audience, recorded on video. You can use the award on any 2027 course, in person in London, New York, Singapore or Sydney or on the virtual course, and you'll name a preferred location on the entry form. In-person courses are for ages 15 to 18, so a 14-year-old winner uses the award online.

Immerse doesn't publish what a partial award covers, so the fees below are the best guide to what a family might still owe. It also doesn't say whether a scholarship covers travel to an in-person course, and its terms say insurance isn't included in the standard fee, so ask before you count on the trip. Results come out on 25 January 2027 and winners have until 10 February 2027 to redeem, which leaves a little over two weeks to decide.

Most of the rules are simple, but a few can cost you your entry or limit what a win is worth.

• Deadline in UK time

  Entries close at 23:59 UK time on 10 January 2027 and are accepted only through the official entry form, so work out your local time if you live elsewhere.

• AI can help you research, not write

  You may use AI tools for research and to check spelling and grammar, but not to write your script or your written note, which have to be in your own words.

• Copying can disqualify you

  Immerse's plagiarism guide says any form of duplication may result in disqualification from the competition.

• One entry, 60 seconds

  Each student gets one entry, and the video must run no longer than 60 seconds, be in English and be saved as MP4, MOV or AVI.

• Scholarships don't stack

  Immerse's terms say scholarships, discount codes and vouchers can't be used together, and that Financial Aid can't be combined with another scholarship unless Immerse agrees in writing.