Do you have to be superman or Superwoman to be US President?
Now in its sixth year, the PSA Schools Video Competition is a highlight in the PSA’s calendar of activities to engage young people in the study of politics. The annual short film competition, sponsored by YouGov, is open to post-16 students who will be studying during the academic year 2016-17.
This year’s competition asks students to explore the question: “Do you have to be Superman/Superwoman to be US President?”. Groups are invited to submit short videos on this subject, examining what attributes are necessary to be a political leader and advantages and disadvantages of presidential systems.
CEO of the Political Studies Association, Helena Djurkovic, said: “The personalities and conduct seen throughout the US presidential campaigns means we are guaranteed to see some interesting entries as the race to the White House heats up.”
Shortlisted groups will be invited to The Speaker’s House in the Palace of Westminster to discuss the ideas raised in their video with a panel of politicians, journalists and academics. Previous jurors have included Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Victoria Derbyshire.
The winners of the Schools’ Short Video Competition will receive their award at the PSA’s Annual Awards Ceremony in Westminster. This year’s ceremony takes place on 29 November in London and accommodation is provided for the winning group and their teacher in central London. On top of this, the winning students get a week’s work experience with the YouGov political team during their school holidays.
“The competition is a great way for students to develop new skills, explore their creativity and get in touch with contemporary political issues. The added training that winning teams get from YouGov – at the heart of political polling and public opinion monitoring – makes this initiative ever more worthwhile,” said Helena Djurkovic.
The deadline for submissions is 21 October 2016. Full competition details and information on how to enter are published on the PSA’s website at: www.psa.ac.uk