International State of the State

The Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations (PCFR) is excited to host a video essay contest on Arizona’s role in the world. The contest is open to all current high school students in Arizona. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and three free tickets to attend the International State of the State featuring Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on Friday, March 24th in Phoenix.

Essay prompt:

The world is entering an era filled with complexity and unprecedented challenges. Climate change, emerging technologies, increased military aggression, growing civil unrest, and novel pandemics all pose threats to global stability and prosperity. At the same time, this era of groundbreaking technology and global interconnectedness offer great promise for the future.

Given Arizona’s unique social, cultural, and economic characteristics, what does Arizona have to offer the world? How can you, with your unique personal experiences and identity, contribute to overcoming the global challenges of today?

Prize:

The first-place winner will receive:

• $500 cash prize
• 3 tickets to the International State of the State on March 24th featuring Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (valued at $250 each)
• An opportunity to meet Governor Hobbs at the event
• Reimbursement for travel expenses (if living outside of Maricopa County)
• Free membership in PCFR for the rest of high school
• Video essay posted on PCFR’s social media

The second and third-place winners will receive:

• $100 cash prize each
• Video essays posted on PCFR’s social media

Criteria:

Submissions must follow these criteria to be considered:

• Submitted by Tuesday, March 21st at 11:59pm MST
• 2 minutes long maximum
• Submitted in an accessible format (MP4, MOV, or a link to a Vimeo or YouTube video)

Contestants are also encouraged to wear professional dress, limit background noise, and have a clear, uncluttered background in their video. However, content will be much more important than production value.

Judging:

Videos will be judged by the following:

• How well contestants speak to Arizona’s unique role in the world
• Genuineness, and ability to incorporate contestants’ own unique background in the video
• Creativity

How to Submit:

Contestants will submit their videos by attaching them to an email with the subject line: 2023 Essay Submission (Insert first and last name) sent to contest@pcfraz.org.

Contestants should include the following in the body of their email:

• First and last name
• Grade Level
• Name of students’ high school
• Phone number

Video submission should be attached to the email, or, if uploaded as a Vimeo or YouTube video, linked in the email.

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For any questions about the contest please email contest@pcfraz.org.