Global U.S. State Department Video Contest--"Change Your Climate, Change Our World:"

November 17, 2009

Contest opens November 17, 2009 and closes January 12, 2010
Winners will receive the Grand Prize: an all-expense-paid, two-week cultural exchange program to the United States

Chennai: The U.S. Department of State will launch its second annual interactive Video Contest, "Change Your Climate, Change Our World." People all over the world ages 14 and older are invited to submit videos, no more than two minutes in length, containing any form of artistic expression including, but not limited to, dance, spoken word, poetry, and song. This contest is a call for engagement and action.

"Climate" is more than the air you breathe. Tell us what you or those you know are doing to make your community a better place. Last year, Bangalore's Bijoy Thangaraj garnered one of the top prizes and spent two weeks in the U.S. in September. Make India a winner again by creating and uploading your video about what you can do to change the world at http://www.connect.state.gov/.

Videos will be judged on originality, creativity, effectiveness, and production quality. Two winners (one in each of the age categories: 14-17 years and 18+years) will receive the Grand Prize: an all-expense-paid, two-week cultural exchange program to the United States. (Visa eligibility applies.)

Members of the ExchangesConnect international social network community will vote on their top 40 video entries, and these entries will then be ranked by a prestigious panel of judges who are alumni of various U.S. government sponsored international exchange programs. In addition to the all-expense paid cultural exchange program in the U.S., winners will receive global recognition of their videos on the ExchangesConnect network and through other promotional venues.

The contest opens November 17, 2009 and closes January 12, 2010. Winners will be announced March 2, 2010. Last year's video contest attracted over 8,400 members from 180 countries, and over 360 contest entries, in the eight weeks it ran. Create your videos now for a chance to win an international experience of a lifetime and further the cause of mutual understanding.

Contestants will be required to register on ExchangesConnect when entering the contest and submitting videos. Employees and contractors of the U.S. Government, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, and spouse or "step" of each) and those living in the same household, are not eligible to participate in this contest.