Win money for presidential inaugural deal with in Make Your Speech contest

Published On: September 2, 2026

Sept. 2, 2026, 6:44 p.m. ET

Younger Individuals could not be capable of vote, however their voices are highly effective they usually’re already dreaming of the world they’ll sometime lead. Their concepts on matters from schooling to power may form our democracy and even affect immediately’s determination makers. We’re excited by the inventive energy that may solely come from younger minds, so, we’re passing them the mic and asking college students to inform us the long run they wish to inhabit.

This 12 months, in honor of the USA’ 250th anniversary, USA TODAY has partnered with SUNN – a non-profit group publishing the nation’s finest scholar journalism and civic media – to launch a sequence of three contests calling on center and excessive schoolers to share their imaginative and prescient of America.

Make Your Speech, the second of those non-partisan contests, invitations younger Individuals to step as much as the political podium. We’re asking them to think about that they’ve simply been elected as president they usually’re delivering their first inaugural deal with in a 2-3 minute video. We wish to be impressed, educated, and motivated by their agenda for the following 4 years – and known as collectively throughout political divides.

Our judges embody a few of immediately’s most influential creators and thinkers, together with award-winning authors Jason Reynolds & Angie Thomas and author and speaker Bartunde Thurston. Collectively, we’re not simply searching for the following era of nice orators, we’re searching for brave speech, provocative questions, and uncommon imaginative and prescient.

This contest isn’t just a possibility for the rising era, but in addition for adults to be taught from the goals, worries, and priorities of younger voices that usually go unheard. In any case, it’s the world they construct that shall be honored one other century from now when America celebrates its enduring democracy.

Fast Contest Information:

Our contest portal is open for submissions beginning September 8, 2026 closes at midnight Pacific time on October 23, 2026.
To enter, college students or a mum or dad/guardian submit a 2-3 minute video of the coed delivering an inaugural presidential deal with and the written textual content of the speech by way of the submissions portal.
Entrants should be in grades 5-12; a mum or dad/guardian should submit for college students aged 12 and youthful.
Entries shall be judged in two classes, center college and highschool.
- 1st place winners will obtain $1,000
- 2nd place winners: $750
- third place: $500.

Inaugural speeches: a unifying message

Presidential speeches are milestones in political historical past. We research them, quote them, and generally even make enjoyable of them. After they straight discuss to the American public, presidents educate us about nationwide occasions, console us after tragedies, and spur us to motion. Their phrases will be like these of your finest academics: they raise us up, they push us ahead, they remind us who we’re and who we are able to grow to be.

Presidential inaugural speeches are almost as outdated because the USA itself: George Washington gave the nation’s first inaugural deal with after being sworn in, and each president since has achieved the identical. It’s an essential second. They’ve spent months connecting to their bases as a candidate; this speech is their second to talk to everybody – together with those that voted in opposition to them – as their chief.

President Donald Trump closed his first inaugural deal with, which got here after a divisive marketing campaign season, by reminding Individuals of their commonalities. He stated, “whether or not a toddler is born within the city sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they give the impression of being up on the identical night time sky, they fill their coronary heart with the identical goals.”

George H.W. Bush spoke of a shared future at his 1989 inauguration, saying “I don’t distrust the long run. I don’t concern what’s forward. For our issues are massive, however our coronary heart is bigger. Our challenges are nice, however our will is bigger.”

These reminders of a collective id and dedication to America proceed to be related immediately. In any case, an awesome political speech meets the second and in addition stands the take a look at of time.

Whereas inaugural speeches are directed towards all, their phrases can have a private impact.

In 1961, John Kennedy stated in his inaugural deal with: “And so, my fellow Individuals: Ask not what your nation can do for you — ask what you are able to do in your nation.”

Kennedy’s phrases hit 19-year-old Donna Shalala “like a splash of water” and altered the course of her life. The subsequent 12 months, Donna joined the Peace Corps. She turned a professor. She served as US Secretary of Well being and Human Providers and as a congressperson. Later, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.