International Junior Contest

#U_Hero Award

Explore the realms of creativity and positive action with the International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award.

Unleash your talent and contribute to solving global challenges through innovative ideas.

Contest Objective

Embark on a journey of ideas with the annual International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award. Focused on fostering creativity, the contest challenges young talents to address global and local challenges such as AI, violence, climate change, and more.

Contest Categories

Dive into a world of artistic expression!

audiovisual art

folklore

urban street culture

visual arts

literature

social and scientific research

journalism

music

Initiated by Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth

This project is made possible thanks to the Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth,

a 90-year institution fostering successful educational cases

for children and youth aged 5-21.

Contest Regulations

Mark your calendars! From October 1, 2024, to June 1, 2025, the contest unfolds in stages.

01.11.2024-01.05.2025

authentication

01.11.2024-01.05.2025

candidate selection

02.05.2024-10.05.2025

voting

11.05.2025-31.05.2025

Attend events, workshops, and discussions during the first two stages.

01.06.2025 – awards ceremony International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award in Kyiv

During the first and second stages, events are organised with the aim of presenting the participants of the competition and revealing the ideas of their works. Additionally, online workshops and discussions will be organised as part of the nominations of the competition.

Contest Nominations 2024/25

In the spotlight

My city

My AI interlocutor...

Beautiful people

The formula of happiness

Don't hesitate!

Awards and Recognition

Receive participant certificates and diplomas. Attend the ceremony on June 1, 2025, in Kyiv. Winners earn the International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award sign and corresponding Winner Diploma.

All the participants of International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award, who have successfully completed the authentication process, will receive participant certificates.


The participants who have become candidates in the nominations will receive diplomas of International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award and commemorative presents. They are also invited to the contest ceremony, which is taking place on June 1, 2025 in Kyiv.


The winners in the nominations are awarded with a sign International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award and the corresponding Diploma of the Winner in the nomination.

Application Procedure

Join the contest from November 1, 2024, to May 1, 2025.

Submit your work, an essay about yourself, and a photo

Participate individually or in groups of up to 5

The registration for participation in International Junior Contest #U_Hero Award 2024/25 opens from November 1, 2024. The deadline for sending materials for the work registration is 1.05.2025 (until 18:00 CET).

A participant is considered the person who has completed registration (authentication) under the following conditions:


Filling in an online application form on the contest website within the deadlines mentioned above.

Submitting the competitive work in electronic format (the link to download the work should be placed in the application form).


Submitting an essay about yourself, your own focus of attention, which is represented in the competitive work (as a separate file with the link provided in the application form).


A photo of the applicant (as a separate file, with the link provided in the application form).


Applications are submitted individually or collectively. Collective work can be presented by a group of up to 5 people. In the case of submitting such an application, the application form and the competitive work are submitted by the entire group, and the essay and photo are submitted by each member of the group.


In all applications and competitive works the following things are encouraged:


Your personal story is in the spotlight. Tell us about your vision of the world, understanding of your identity, and things that are important for you.


In the idea, there are thousands of languages for understanding. Your creativity is a universal language of communication with the world. Your works should inspire.


We do not express «concern», we aspire to act together and create a new world. The competitive work should be the result of projects or a suggestion for collaborative actions, a subject for sharing thoughts and finding solutions.

Contest Works Requirements

Each category has unique requirements

"IN THE SPOTLIGHT"

Works where participants can talk about what worries them, creates a need to act and change the world for the better


  • Social advertising: videos of up to 30 seconds, which in a figurative form emphasize the problem and stimulate responsible behavior, socially significant actions;
  • Microfilm: a video story that is told in one minute and reveals a certain moral, actualizes a problem, conveys the beauty and uniqueness of life, etc.;
  • Fine art with the possible application of artificial intelligence: works in various techniques and genres that illustrate an idea in a symbolic form, convey a story, form a relationship, encourage action, etc.;
  • Animation: a metaphorical story of up to 90 seconds that reveals certain morals, thoughts, problems of life in today's conditions, their impact on the future;
  • Video collages with original sound: a set of slides (up to 15 pieces) in the author's design, which are connected by a single theme, illustrate thoughts, emphasize values, outline future prospects.


Markers by which works are marked:

  • The originality of the idea and the choice of the topic of the work;
  • Performance technique, mastery of using artistic tools;
  • Expressiveness and emotional saturation of the work;
  • Proposition of action and positivism.The works are submitted in the following formats: mov, mp4.
"MY CITY"

A nomination that invites participants to tell their stories about their own cities. These can be memories, impressions of life in these cities, stories about significant events, visions of how these cities should, in the opinion of the authors, change and what is needed today. Authors can focus on cities where they were born and live, as well as cities and towns where they moved.

  • presentation of the cities and towns where the authors live;
  • reflections on why the city is important for the author, whatvalues are particularly significant;
  • stories of the city's heroes, real or fictional (which the cityneeds);
  • social, cultural initiatives, holidays and traditions that unitethe community;
  • symbols, iconic and significant places for the author, reflectingthe essence of the city, its content, illustrating importantstories of the author's life;
  • dreams about one's own city, an ideal city in general, ideasfor a future author in the context of city development


Markers by which works are marked:

  • The originality of the idea and the choice of the topic of the work;
  • Bright examples for comparison and illustration;
  • Performance technique, mastery of using artistic tools;
  • Expressiveness and emotional saturation of the work;
  • Integrity, reliability and authenticity of the material.


Timeline of works:

  • Video up to 4 minutes;
  • Presentations up to 15 slides. Video can be used inpresentations.


Technical requirements:

  • video formats mov, mp4
  • presentations in pdf, kye, pptx formats.
"MY AI INTERLOCUTOR..."

Creation of images and pictures of the future world, journalistic materials on topics relevant to the author based on the results of communication and requests to artificial intelligence. Guidelines for choosing the topics of works can be as follows:


  • on what principles different people can coexist;
  • how the urban communities of the future can be arranged, theplanning of cities and agglomerations can be carried out;
  • what industries may be in the future, on what aspects of lifethey are based;
  • what are the 5 taboos for artificial intelligence that humanscan identify;
  • which human qualities and skills will be extremely importantin life in 50 years


Of course, this is only an indicative topic. What is important here will be the author's choice of topics and questions for the conversation, as well as the style and form of the summary of the conversation. The language of communication can be visual symbols, pictures, musical phrases, videos, etc.


Markers by which works are marked:


● Originality of the idea and selection of questions to reveal the topic;

● Determination of aspects of the issues for discussion, their author's interpretation;

● Imagery and symbolism in the presentation of the content of the work;

● Performance technique, mastery of using artistic tools for presentation of work;

● Expressiveness and emotional saturation;

● Reasonableness of conclusions, outline of the author's

position.


Timeline (volume) of works:


● Video up to 3 minutes;

● Presentations up to 15 slides, presentations can use video;

● Verbal illustrated works up to 3000 characters, up to 10

illustrations.


Technical requirements:


● video formats mov, mp4;

● presentations in pdf, kye, pptx formats;

● texts with illustrations in pdf, docx formats.


"BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE"

Stories about people who have played or will play a significant role in the contestants' lives. These are heroes who, like beacons, help and inspire to move forward. Works in various techniques, namely mini-films, videos, illustrated texts (essays, abstracts, longreads, etc.), based on:


● description of stories that the author chooses as metaphors, illustrations for his own definition of "hero";

● creating a portrait of a person who, according to the author, is "beautiful";

● an interview with a person (people) about what human beauty is, how it is formed;

● creating an author's vision of a collective, ideal image of a beautiful person.


Markers by which works are marked:


● Original, original vision of the author;

● Integrity and persuasiveness;

● Imagery and literary presentation of the material;

● Aesthetics of the work, artistic techniques in revealing the

theme of the work;

● Emotionality and expressiveness of the work.


Timeline (volume) of works:


● Video up to 3 minutes;

● Presentations up to 15 slides, presentations can use video;

● Verbal illustrated works up to 3000 characters, up to 10

illustrations.


Technical requirements:


● video formats mov, mp4;

● presentations in pdf, kye, pptx formats;

● texts with illustrations in pdf, docx formats.


"THE FORMULA OF HAPPINESS"

Literature works, journalism and documentary works based on stories of solidarity, friendship, mutual assistance, musical works, photos.


Literature works:


● main languages: English, Ukrainian. Original language with language-based translation is allowed

● small literary forms - stories, essays, diaries, etc

● the volume of work is up to 3000 characters


Writing:


● main languages: English, Ukrainian. Original language with language-based translation is allowed

● the volume of work is up to 1000 characters

● illustrations - up to 5


Documentary:


● time recording: up to 10 minutes

● language: original with English subtitles

● formats: mov, mp4


Musical works:


● instrumental works

● the piece may have vocal parts

● time up to 3 minutes 30 seconds

● format: mp3, wav

● the author can put music on the video (including the original

performance of the work)

● video format: mp4, mov


Photo:


● the photo is created directly by the participant;

● photos should reveal the theme of the nomination;

● Photos are sent in JPEG format, the resolution (the product of

the length times the width of the photo in pixels) must be at least 1 MPx.


Markers by which works are marked:


● Originality of the idea, emotionality and imagery of its implementation;

● The author's vision of happiness, its manifestations;

● Performance technique, mastery of using artistic tools,

including the use of various techniques and genres;

● Composition, harmonious balance;

● Author's style and sense of form of work.

All works submitted to the competition will not be reviewed or returned.


Publications of the works sent to the competition is done with the consent of the authors. The organisers reserve the right to mention the works and quote their statements in the context of the competition during the project season.

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