Leader in Me 11th Annual

2026 Global Student Video Contest

International • K-12

2026 Leader in Me Global Student Video Contest

Submissions open March 17 – April 28, 2026
Winners announced May 22, 2026

2026 Contest Prompt

Sometimes being a leader is easy, but other times it is uncomfortable or even scary. Share about a time when doing the right thing was not the popular or easy choice. This could be an experience at school, with friends, in your community, or at home.
In your response, share your thoughts on the following:
What happened and how did you feel?
What did you learn from this experience?
What does it mean to be a leader in moments like this?
How can you continue to show leadership even when it feels hard?

We will be featuring winning videos on our social media channels, so be sure to like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Submit Your Video Here Beginning March 17th!

Previous Winners

Check out previous contest winners and finalists selected from 2016-2025.
Previous Winners and Finalists

The Judging Process

Following the submission deadline, several regional finalists will be chosen. The regional finalists will receive a special certificate.

From the group of regional finalists, five (5) grand prize winners will be selected by a panel of judges:

  • Individual – ages 5-10: one (1) grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 USD leadership grant.
  • Individual – ages 11-15: one (1) grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 USD leadership grant.
  • Individual – ages 16-19: one (1) grand prize winner will receive a $1,000 USD leadership grant.
  • School and/or classroom group: one (1) grand prize winner will receive a $2,000 USD leadership grant.
  • Popular Vote: one (1) popular vote winner will receive a $500 USD leadership grant. This winner will be selected by votes cast by students, friends and family through the contest entry platform. Winners in the individual and school and/or classroom group categories are not eligible to also win the popular vote category.

Please note that to be eligible for the popular vote contest, videos must be centered on the prompt and votes must be submitted through the contest platform without any assistance from automated bot voting. All unverified votes will be disqualified. The judges have sole discretion to disqualify any popular vote contest entry that does not fulfill ALL requirements of the video contest and/or the prompt. Additional details on the popular voting process will be communicated as the voting period opens from April 29 – May 5, 2026.

View the official 2026 Judging Rubric here

What is a Leadership Grant?

Consider ways that you can you make a difference.

The purpose of a leadership grant is to inspire and enable you to be life-ready leaders by using the grant to make a difference within your circle of influence. What you do with your leadership grant is up to you, but here are a few suggestions to make a difference as a leader:

  • Identify and fix a problem that exists at school.
  • Donate the money to a charitable contribution.
  • Organize a service project in the community.
  • Purchase personal school supplies.
  • Help a class member or family in need.
  • Contribute to a college/university fund.

Individual (ages 5-10, 11-15, or 16-19)

This entry video is led by and features an individual Leader in Me student.
All parts of the contest prompt are answered with a traditional speech, creative video, or any form of video entry. This video entry is no longer than 3 minutes long.

School and/or Classroom Group

This entry video is led by and features a classroom, small group of students, or even an entire school. All students involved in the entry must be featured.
All parts of the contest prompt are answered with a traditional speech, creative video, or any form of video entry. This video entry is no longer than 3 minutes long.

Supporting Different Languages

The contest is not only open to students who speak English; but also to students who prefer to speak in their own native language!

If your video is in another language besides English, please include English subtitles in the video.

Contest Resources

What is Leader in Me?

Leader in Me (LiM) is an evidence-based, comprehensive school improvement model—developed in partnership with educators—that empowers students with the leadership and life-skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.
Learn More