World Bank & Financial Times’ blog/essay writing competition 2021 for students

Are you 16 to 19 years old? Are you currently enrolled in a high school or secondary school? Has COVID-19 affected your learning or the education of a friend or family member?

If yes, then take part in the World Bank Group and the Financial Times’ third joint global blog/essay writing competition.

The pandemic has disrupted our lives everywhere, and is changing the way we live, work and learn. This health crisis is creating another crisis – an education crisis. The World Bank estimates that an additional 72 million primary school age children will fall into learning poverty, due to extended school closures caused by the pandemic. Learning poverty is when a child cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of 10.

How can we help children learn, everywhere?

We want to hear from those most affected – young people. We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think by joining this blog competition.

Tell us how your learning experience been affected by COVID-19? What would you tell educators and policy makers to do differently? What would make an impact on your learning experience?

This is your chance to get creative. This competition builds on the World Bank Group’s recent reports. Realizing the Future of Learning and Reimagining Human Connections.

Be innovative, be persuasive – and be bold!

Send us:

A strong blog or essay, that is no longer than 500 words.
Photos, videos, visualizations that help support your story, are optional.
Your name, age, school, email, and country you live in.

The deadline for submissions is February 15th, 2021. Entries will be judged by a high-level panel comprised of senior officials at the World Bank, Financial Times, and select partners.

You could win a chance at being published in the Financial Times and the World Bank Blogs.

Be innovative, be persuasive – and be bold!

Submissions should include:

A strong blog or essay, that is no longer than 500 words.
Your name, age, school, email, and country you live in.
Photos, videos, visualizations that help support your story, are optional.

How to enter:

Send us your application following the Apply button at the top of this page and following the steps.

You may also check:

Judging

Entries will be judged by a high-level panel comprised of senior officials at the World Bank Group, the Financial Times, and select partners. The full names of the judges can be made available on request. Judging will take place during February 2021 and winners will be contacted and announced in April 2021 on the World Bank Group blog and Financial Times website, unless a winner objected to publication of their name at the time of entry. Entries will be judged against originality, creativity, writing quality, and solutions presented. The judging panel’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners will be contacted via the contact information provided with their submission.

Prizes

The winning entry will be published in the Financial Times (at its sole discretion) and the World Bank Group blog. Based on restrictions during the pandemic the World Bank Group will also find additional, virtual ways to honor the winner in April 2021.

For more information on entering the competition and to submit your entry, click here.

You can also register your school here to receive free subscriptions of the Financial Times for students at any time: www.ft.com/schoolsarefree.