What kind of state do you want to live in?

Young Minnesotans will answer these questions as part of the "I Am Minnesota’s Future" video contest. The competition is put on by Students Speak Out, a project by the Citizens League, a bipartisan citizen’s organization for civic engagement. Video submissions, which were due by April 21, can be viewed at http://studentsspeakout.org.



The video contest is part of the Citizens League’s Minnesota Anniversary Project (MAP 150), a celebration of the state’s upcoming 150th birthday. The winning three entries in each category will be announced the week of May 11, the state’s sesquicentennial.

The contest is "designed to frame and feature the next 150 years of Minnesota’s statehood by providing teens a creative way to express their hopes and concerns about the future of our state," said Stacy Becker, project director for MAP 150.



Students and groups of students may submit three-minute videos that express their concerns about issues that face Minnesota and offer ideas to effect change. Submitted videos have taken on issues like immigration reform, climate change and after-school programs for Minnesota’s students.



"The submissions we’ve gotten so far have really shown how thoughtful and ‘plugged-in’ students can be," Becker said. "It’s important to show young people that there is a role for them in civic engagement, that they do matter."



The winning videos will be broadcast over several social networks, including YouTube.com, displayed at this summer’s State Fair in St. Paul and shared with the state legislature for consideration. The winning films will be shared with and possibly broadcast by several local media outlets. The Citizens League will show the top two videos for each category to the hundreds of attendees at their annual meeting.



A panel of student leaders selected for the project will review all submissions and select the top 10 from both the individual and group categories. These videos will be reviewed by the contest’s panel of judges, which includes state Representative Kate Knuth (DFL, 50B) and Bill Hanley, executive vice president of Twin Cities Public Television.

In addition to videos that are well-made and engaging, Knuth said she will look for "some thoughtfulness about why being involved is important" in the films she judges.

"I think the opportunity for students to present their ideas, vision and creation to people they might not run into ...