HACIA 30 Contests

This year’s art, essay, and social entrepreneurship contests are now live! Please find detailed guidelines for each competition, including themes, submission requirements, and evaluation criteria on this page. The submission form for all contests is located directly below — be sure to complete it before the deadline (February 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST) to be considered for these competitions.

Submission Form

Essay Contest

Overview

The essay contest is one of the most valuable traditions of HACIA Democracy. It presents delegates with an opportunity to reflect on the state of democracy in Latin America, explore the complex realities of the region, and practice the art of oration and composition. The author of the best essay will be personally selected by the Co-Presidentsof HACIA Democracy and will receive the Presidents' Award for Excellence in Essay Composition. The winning author will also have the honor of presenting their essay during our Opening Ceremony.

Prompt

In the words of Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, democratic freedoms are accompanied by democratic responsibilities:

“With the freedom of speech comes the responsibility to listen.
With the freedom of belief comes the responsibility to accept.
With the freedom from want comes the responsibility to serve.
And with the freedom from fear comes the responsibility to act.”

Walker encourages us to consider democracy not as a passive or rigid system, but rather as an active process of continuous engagement, collaboration, and stewardship by individuals and communities. True democratic advancement requires that we go beyond exercising our personal rights and take responsibility for safeguarding these freedoms and ensuring that they are accessible to all members of society.

For your essay, reflect on your personal responsibility in safeguarding democracy. How have you acted to promote its values in your personal life or your community? What barriers have you encountered, and how did you address them? Looking ahead, how do you plan to deepen your commitment to protecting and advancing democratic ideals in a way that aligns with your unique strengths and passions?

Guidelines

Essays should tell a compelling and personal story while also offering thoughtful analysis and actionable ideas. Submissions will be judged on originality, depth of insight, and clarity of expression. Essays can be written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. All essays must be between 700 and 1,000 words. Delegates should include their name, school, country, email address and number of words at the beginning of the essay. All submissions must be received by 11:59 pm EST on February 28, 2025.

Art Contest

Overview

The HACIA Art Contest celebrates the power of creativity in exploring the themes of democracy and social justice in Latin America. This contest invites delegates to convey their perspectives through visual art, offering a platform for bold, imaginative, and deeply personal expressions. The winning piece will be selected by the Co-Presidents of HACIA Democracy and awarded the Art Award for Excellence in Visual Expression. Additionally, the artwork will be displayed during the Opening Ceremony, providing a moment of inspiration and reflection for all attendees.

Theme

The theme of this year's art contest is "Stories of the Land, Stories of Us." Every landscape tells a story, but some of these stories have been forgotten, erased, or overlooked through the passage of time. These lost stories often hold valuable lessons about resilience, heritage, and the relationship between people and the Earth. Through your art, reflect on the history of a local or national landscape that is meaningful to you. How has this landscape been shaped by natural forces, human intervention, or cultural practices? What stories about this place might have been lost or silenced, and why? While human experiences are central to many narratives, we also encourage participants to consider the histories and voices of the landscapes themselves — stories of nature, ecosystems, and the forces that have shaped these spaces over time...

We want you to use your art to recover or reimagine these lost stories, bringing them into the present. How can remembering the past help us create a more just and sustainable future for this landscape and others like it? What role do individuals and communities play in preserving or restoring the stories of the Earth? Let your artwork serve as a bridge between the forgotten and the future, sparking reflection and hope for the landscapes we inhabit.

Guidelines

All projects must be visual (no songs, poetry, etc) and can be done with oil, acrylics, watercolors, pencil, charcoal, wood, etc. Art projects do not have to be limited to two dimensions and can be brought to the conference if the student wishes to do so. Five criteria will be considered when deciding awards: expression of one's personality, proof of effort, creativity, aesthetics, and relevance to the topic.

Social Entrepreneurship Challenge (SEC)

Overview

HACIA’s driving force is our unwavering belief in the power of youth to transform the world we live in. Over the past 30 years, we have witnessed how Latin American youth have become increasingly aware of the pressing social issues facing their countries and the region as a whole, as well as the urgency of finding real solutions to these challenges. Clear examples include the strong youth-led social movements that have emerged in recent years to denounce serious issues of social inequality and demand urgent changes from their governments.

However, we believe it is time for Latin American youth to elevate their civic engagement by adopting an entrepreneurial mindset that harnesses their potential to implement their own social-impact initiatives. Social entrepreneurship not only fosters a more cohesive society but also cultivates crucial 21st-century skills, including leadership, critical thinking, innovation, adaptability, and collaboration.

The Contest

The HACIA Democracy Social Entrepreneurship Challenge (SEC) aims to develop young entrepreneurial leaders with a strong sense of civic engagement. In a nutshell, participants form teams to identify a problem in their communities and propose an innovative and sustainable community-based project to address it. A monetary prize will be awarded to the project that best exhibits extraordinary innovation, impact, and sustainability.

By participating in the SEC, HACIA delegates get the unique chance to:
• turn their ideas into concrete projects
• generate significant social change in their communities
• inspire others in the HACIA community and beyond
• put their creativity and leadership in action

Requirements

All project submissions consist of:

1. Written Application: Each participating team will be required to submit a
written application including: contact information for each of the team members
as well as details about the social problem they have identified and the project they
have designed to address it. The written application form can be found at the end
of this page.

2. Pitch Video: Along with the written application, participants are asked to submit a 2-4 minute video where the team members describe and “pitch” their project.

All HACIA 30 delegates are eligible to participate in the SEC, either individually or in teams. Teams may have as many members as desired and may include individuals that are not participating in HACIA 30 (e.g. school mates, neighbors, friends), as long as they are currently enrolled in an institution of primary or secondary education. It is important to note that we request that at least ONE team member be an HACIA 30 delegate. Each team MUST have a Team Leader and a Teacher/Staff Sponsor (both of which must be indicated in the Written Application Form).

Criteria