Youth ages 13-18 (at time of submission) from any country in the world are eligible to submit a video.

Challenge Opens—September 9, 2025
Submission Deadline—February 6, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST
Award Recipients Announced—May 2026 (date to be announced)
People’s Choice Award Voting—May 2026 (dates to be announced)

Here are the steps for registering and submitting a video:

• Step 1. Visit www.SlingshotChallenge.org to learn about the challenge.
• Step 2. Complete registration at Videos for Change site, If you’re under 18, you’ll
•  need to enter a parent or guardian’s email address and their consent to participate.
• Step 3: Get inspired: Download challenge toolkit and sign up for a workshop to help build out your idea.
• Step 4: Create and submit your challenge video by the deadline on February 6, 2026.

For the 2026 challenge, video submissions must be in English or Spanish. Subtitles are not required but are allowed. If they are included, they must be in English or Spanish.

• Videos must focus on an environmental issue and inspire positive change, with a clear call to action.
• Videos must be in English or Spanish, no longer than one minute, no larger than 200 Mb and can be filmed in vertical (portrait) or horizontal (landscape) format. 
• Video submissions can be created by one person, or in teams of up to six members. Team members must be between the ages of 13 to 18 at the time of entry.
• All video content must be original or copyright-free. Be sure to follow the Videos for Change community guidelines.
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Yes. They can be shot vertically (portrait format) or horizontally (landscape format). 

Yes, as long as you are still between the ages of 13-18 and weren’t a funding recipient, you may participate in the challenge again this year. You may submit the same video or a new video (or both!). 

No. You can use your same Videos for Change account from a previous year to sign in and submit to the 2026 Slingshot Challenge. You will need to create a new entry for this year’s challenge and be sure to add your team members if you are working in a team. 

For other Videos for Change questions, please visit the Help Center.

Youth may choose to work individually or as a team of up to six participants. All participants must be 13-18 years old. Regardless of whether you work individually or in a team, all solutions will be expected to involve collaboration with peers, stakeholders, and/or marginalized communities. 

When submitting in teams, note that all team members must individually join the team via the Videos for Change site. In addition, all team members must receive individual parent/guardian or educator permission, and all team members must accept the final video submission to ensure every team member is properly credited and recognized. These consents will be sent to the email address you utilize when creating your Slingshot Challenge Videos for Change account.

Parental or legal guardian permission is required for submission for youth under 18. When registering, youth are prompted to enter a parent or educator email address. 

If you enter your parent or legal guardian’s email, they must click the “I Consent” button in the email before the video project can be submitted. If you are in a team, all parents or legal guardians must provide consent before the video project can be submitted. If you previously participated in the challenge, your parent consent will carry over as long as you use the same account.

If you enter your educator’s email address, your educator must receive consent from your parent to provide consent on their behalf. After your educator has received consent from your parent outside of Videos for Change, they must click the “Confirm” button to confirm that manual consent has been received.

A selection panel will evaluate submissions and select a small number of submissions to receive up to $10,000 USD in funding. Reviewers will use the following criteria:

• Issue Communicated Effectively: 
  • Does the video and solution address an environmental issue related to at least one of the five topic areas? 
  • Does the video make a compelling, evidence-based case for why the issue matters?
• Emotional Impact: 
  • Does the video build empathy, giving the audience a reason to care and take action?
  • Does the participant(s) demonstrate a sincere personal connection to the topic?
• Unique/Creative: 
  • Does the solution present a creative and/or original approach to address the issue?
• Effective use of Video-Making Techniques
  • Does the video meet the technical entry requirements: one minute, created from original or copyright-free material?
  • Can the video and audio be clearly understood by the audience?  
  • Does the video use unique storytelling techniques (e.g., styles, shot types, narrative) that provides a compelling message? 
• Clear, Achievable Call to Action: 
  • Is the solution clear, achievable and realistic? 
  • Would the solution result in relevant and measurable impact?
• Explorer Connection:
  •  Does the video reference inspiration or ideas from a National Geographic Explorer?
• Community Connection: 
  • Does the solution clearly address a specific issue in the community and involve community members as collaborators?

In May 2026, after videos have been evaluated by a selection panel, the National Geographic Society will announce a small number of award recipients from the submitted videos. Submissions are eligible to receive up to $10,000 USD in funding as an unrestricted cash award. In the case of teams, funding is split evenly among team members. Award recipients will join a global community of alumni who are engaging with the Society to continue learning and building their leadership skills as they take action on behalf of the planet.

All participants who submit a solution video will receive a digital certificate and will be invited to a virtual announcement and recognition event.

When used responsibly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool for protecting the environment. A number of Slingshot Challenge participants have successfully developed solutions that utilize AI to protect ecosystems, including award recipients Reforest AI and Reefsound. As you develop your Slingshot Challenge solution idea and video submission, it’s important to weigh the potential downsides of using AI, such as the vast energy consumption used by AI data centers and the potential for data bias. AI-generated content can be inaccurate, misleading, or contain copyrighted material. As you develop your Slingshot Challenge video submissions, we recommend avoiding the use of AI-generated content such as images, video, or script writing. The most successful video submissions will be authentic, will demonstrate an individual’s or team’s effort, and will align closely with the selection criteria, including a creative solution idea, unique storytelling techniques, personal connection to the issue and collaboration with community members. If your video is selected for final consideration, you may be asked to supply information about the source of your content, including AI generators and common use websites.