Saturday, November 28, 2026 Toronto + Vancouver Grades 6–12

Every Child,
Every Voice

A national speaking challenge for Canadian students in Grades 6–12. Four minutes on stage, one question worth answering: what is the future we want to build?

Four to five minutes. No slides, no props.

Grades: 6–12; Two divisions
Language: English; Prepared speech
Speech length: 4–5 min; No slides, no props
Venues: Toronto + Vancouver; Same day, live-linked

2026 theme

Every Child, Every Voice: The Future We Want to Build

The theme stays deliberately open. Education, children’s rights, mental health, technology and AI, the environment, social equity, school life, the future of work — anything a young person can argue honestly. The real subject is how your generation sees the issues that will shape it, and the one after it.

01
What is one change that would make the world better for young people?
02
What should adults understand about our generation?
03
What does every child need in order to thrive?
04
How should technology shape — or not shape — childhood?
05
What responsibility does our generation have for the next generation?
Or bring your own question. These are starting points, not a list to pick from. See the full theme brief.

How it works

Four steps from an idea to a national stage

Register and film two minutes

Submit the registration form, the fee, a parental consent and a single-take, two-minute video audition. Thirty seconds to introduce yourself, ninety to answer the set question.

Earn your place on stage

If entries exceed the live capacity, one common standard decides the shortlist. The two divisions are ranked separately, so Grade 6 never competes against Grade 12.

Speak for four to five minutes

A prepared English speech, delivered once. Cue cards allowed. No slides, no props. Just an argument you actually believe and the room in front of you.

Be judged, then recognized

Local panels produce each venue’s Top 3 per division. An independent national panel reviews the recordings and names the national winners the same afternoon.

Why it is built this way

The competition is the annual outlet, not the whole program

One speech day a year does not change much on its own. The lasting value sits in the school clubs that collect youth opinion, the community action that follows, and the annual report that carries it further. The Challenge is the moment all of that becomes public.

School level
01

Youth Voice Clubs

Find the issues. Listen to peers. Run discussions and surveys. Build student leadership.

Founding year opens Founder and Chapter Lead roles to every eligible competitor.
Community level
02

Partner Organizations

Reach students. Provide venues, mentors and local reach. Later, host regional qualifiers.

Founding year runs recruitment and community partnerships; local qualifiers follow from 2027.
National level
03

The Challenge

Put youth perspectives on a bigger stage through public speaking.

Toronto main venue plus Vancouver linked venue, completed on a single day.
Impact level
04

Youth Voice Report

Gather the themes, insights and recommendations into a durable annual content asset.

Version 1 scoped after the founding competition, drawing on school-level briefs.

Judging

One hundred points. One score sheet. Both coasts.

Toronto and Vancouver use an identical rubric and the same judge brief. Accent is not a scoring factor — judges score what you said, how it was built, and how you carried it.

Content & Ideas 30

Substance of the argument, depth of thought, real-world relevance.
Structure & Logic 20

Complete structure, clear reasoning, an argument that advances.
Delivery 25

Voice, pace, eye contact, stage presence, clarity.
Originality 15

Independent thinking and a distinctly personal expression.
Impact / Audience Connection 10

Connection with the room and the carrying power of the message.

Separate from the speech score

The Youth Voice Spirit & Community Impact Award is judged on its own rubric — leadership, mobilization, inclusion and service. A student who never reaches the speech Top 3 can still be recognized for the work that happened all year.

Fundraising is one dimension at 20%, and there is deliberately no rule where the largest donation wins. Family finances should not decide a youth award.

See the Spirit Award rubric →

Youth Voice Clubs

Every competitor can start a club at their own school

Register, compete, and then keep going as a Founder, Founding President or Chapter Lead. Clubs run a five-part annual cycle; Grade 6–8 clubs should have a named teacher advisor, and every club needs school approval to actually form.

Listen

Run listening sessions, surveys and small discussions on the issues students actually care about.

Discuss

Take one or two youth issues each month or term through discussion, speech practice and argument training.

Act

Organize community service, public-interest outreach, approved fundraising or an in-school awareness campaign.

Speak

Hold an in-school Youth Voice Showcase or qualifier and nominate students for the annual Challenge.

Report

Write student views into a short Youth Voice Brief, collected annually into the Canadian Youth Voice Report.

How the club network works

Key dates

The road to November 28

Key dates for the 2026 Challenge
Date	Milestone
October 16	Registration opens.
November 8	Registration closes.
November 13	Finalists announced.
November 28	National competition day at the Toronto main venue and the Vancouver venue, with a joint awards ceremony.

Full timeline Competition day schedule

For schools and organizations

Real roles, not just a logo on a banner

Partners

Four minutes is enough to say something that matters.

Registration opens October 16, 2026 and closes November 8, 2026. All you need to start is a question you cannot stop thinking about.