Young Human Rights Reporter Awards

Enter the Amnesty Young Reporter Awards from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

The Amnesty Young Human Rights Reporter Awards inspire young people to investigate and write about a human rights issue they care about, and experience the power of their own words as they bring that issue to light.

Previous topics have included global issues such as child soldiers and women's rights, and issues based on personal experience or observation, such as bullying.

• Read last year's winners in the Guardian
• More from last year's competition

Watch last year's younger category winners

Enter Amnesty Young Reporter Awards from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

Category information

The competition is open to students in schools or alternative education settings in the UK, and is divided into four categories:

• Upper Primary (pupils in Years 3-6 in England and Wales, Years 4-7 in Northern Ireland and Primary 3-7 in Scotland)

• Lower Secondary (pupils in Years 7-9 in England and Wales, Years 8-10 in Northern Ireland and Secondary 1-2 in Scotland)

• Upper Secondary (pupils in Years 10-11 in England and Wales, Years 11-12 in Northern Ireland and Secondary 3-4 in Scotland)

• Further Education (pupils in Years 12-13 in England and Wales, Year 13-14 in Northern Ireland and Secondary 5-6 in Scotland)

The minimum age for entrants is 7 years old; the maximum age is 21. There will be one winner in each category. 

Entering the Competition

Individuals will enter using the on-line entry form (coming soon)  You will need to agree to the terms and conditions of the competition to enter. Please see the competition guidelines, FAQs and consent forms (all coming soon) for more details. 

Judging Criteria

There will be up to ten people shortlisted in each age category.  From these a winner will be chosen for each category, as well as two runners up.

In the Upper Primary and Lower Secondary categories, the judges will be looking for entries which best meet the following criteria:

• Content - the chosen subject is interesting and has 'news value'. The information is factually accurate and clearly explained.
• Language and style - the article uses language effectively to engage interest. The headline is eye-catching, and the article is well structured with a strong opening paragraph and clear conclusion. Direct speech (quotes) and indirect speech may be used.
• Analysis/Opinion - the article analyses rather than just describes the issue, helping to increase the reader's understanding.

In the Upper Secondary and Sixth Form categories, the judges will be looking for entries which meet all of the above criteria, and also:

• Sources - the article shows evidence of drawing on different sources, including quotes and statistics where relevant. Sources should be referenced in the article. 

Prizes

Finalists will:

• Be invited on a day trip to London for an awards ceremony at Amnesty International's UK offices and a visit to the Guardian newspaper's offices.
• Have their work celebrated by Amnesty on our website.  Their work may also be published by the Guardian Newspaper group and/or MA Publications.
• Receive an Amnesty Media Awards certificate and goody bag.
• All entrants will receive a certificate of participation.