Pick a question, not a topic
"Mental health" is a topic and it will produce a flat speech. "Why does my school treat a panic attack differently from a broken arm?" is a question, and it has an argument inside it.
2026 theme
Every Child, Every Voice: The Future We Want to Build
The theme is intentionally wide. What narrows it is your question — and the honesty of your answer.
Students are free to speak on education, children's rights, mental health, technology and AI, the environment, social equity, school life or the future of work. The common thread is not a subject area. It is a point of view: how young people see the issues that affect them and the generation after them.
You are not being asked to represent your whole generation, and you are not being asked to be optimistic. You are being asked to say something true, build it properly, and deliver it well.
- Education
- Children’s rights
- Mental health
- Technology & AI
- Environment
- Social equity
- School life
- The future of work
Starting prompts
Five questions to argue with
These are not a menu to select from. They are the kind of question the theme is looking for. If one of them annoys you enough to answer it properly, start there.
- 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?
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Bringing your own question is encouraged and is scored no differently. Originality is worth 15 points on its own.
Writing guidance
What tends to separate the strong speeches
Use evidence you actually have
What you have seen in your school, your family, your community or your city is evidence. Judges score real-world relevance, and a specific local observation beats a borrowed statistic.
Say what should change
Content & Ideas is the largest block of points at 30. Diagnosis alone rarely gets there. Name what you want adults, institutions or your own generation to do differently.
Make the ending earn its place
Impact and audience connection are judged. The last thirty seconds are where most speeches either land or evaporate, so write them first if you have to.
Found your question?
The entry route is a registration form, a fee, a consent form and a two-minute single-take video audition. Nothing else.