Call for Entries Now Open for Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards

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The Adobe Foundation today announced a call for entries to the second Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) Aspire Awards, a global, online challenge inviting youth to creatively express their vision for driving change in local communities. The competition is an extension of AYV, the company's global philanthropic commitment, which is designed to ignite creative confidence in youth by empowering them to find their voice and make it heard.

"At Adobe, we believe in the power of creativity to make the world a better place," said Michelle Yates, director of corporate social responsibility, Adobe and executive director of the Adobe Foundation. "The Aspire Awards give young people an opportunity to explore issues that are important to them and creatively present possible solutions. Ultimately, the skills they learn while creating their projects help these youth become active and engaged members of their communities and society at large."

Categories:		The competition offers eight standard content categories representing visual storytelling methods that range from music videos to photo essays. A ninth category - the UNICEF Challenge - invites entrants to develop a video proposal for a project they would like to launch in their local community.

Eligibility:		Youth ages 13-19 are eligible to participate by teaming up with adult educators who are part of the AYV partner network or are registered with AYV Essentials, an online source for free curricula and tools to support the creation of digital content in an academic context. Entries must be submitted by educators on behalf of youth participants. Educators from any school or youth organization are welcome to register with AYV Essentials at no cost.

How to Enter:		Complete entry guidelines can be found at the official competition website, youthvoices.adobe.com/awards.

Deadlines:		The submission deadline for content produced from 2010-2012 is February 22; the deadline for the UNICEF Challenge and any other content produced in early 2013 is April 19.

How Winners are Chosen:		From all eligible entries, 20 finalists will be selected in each of the eight standard content categories; six finalists will be selected in the UNICEF Challenge category. Finalist entries will be showcased on the Aspire Awards website April 29-June 8. During this period, an international panel of esteemed professionals working in art, film, and other creative fields will select first- and second-place winners in each category. The six finalists for the UNICEF Challenge will be selected by a panel of international UNICEF experts. The general public is also invited to participate in the judging process by viewing, sharing, commenting on, and "liking" entries via the Aspire Awards website. Entries that generate the highest level of social engagement in each category will receive an audience award.

Prizes:		Youth who submit entries for the eight standard content categories are eligible to win software, hardware, a trip to attend the 2013 AYV Summit in San Jose, Calif., and a charitable donation to a cause of their choice. UNICEF Challenge first-place, second-place, and audience award winners will receive $40,000, $30,000, and $20,000 grants, respectively, which will be distributed to their country offices and dedicated to implementing the winning project proposals. In addition, winners' entries will be featured at distinguished exhibitions, including international film festivals and other arts organization events. For further prize details, please visit the Aspire Awards website.

About Adobe Youth Voices

Adobe Youth Voices is the Adobe Foundation's global philanthropic initiative that empowers youth from underserved communities with digital media skills so they can comment on their world, share their ideas and take action on issues that are important to them. By harnessing the energy and insight of youth 13-19 years old, Adobe Youth Voices aims to inspire a dialogue for change in their communities.

The program engages youth to express themselves through documentary videos, photography, print media, radio diaries, animation, Web communications and other media. The Adobe Youth Voices global network includes 700 sites in 52 countries. For more information, visit www.youthvoices.adobe.com.