I highly encourage those interested to take part in this great opportunity: (UPDATE: The conference and deadline for this contest has been pushed back, we'll give you specifics once we get them)

Win a trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the fourth annual
One Voice: Reproductive Health and Population Summit

Enter an essay contest for youth advocates co-sponsored by Advocates for Youth, Feminist Majority Foundation, SIECUS, and the Sierra Club!

If you are interested in sexual and reproductive health and rights and in uniting local-to-global advocacy efforts around issues like international family planning, comprehensive sexuality education, gender equity and environmental protection, then the One Voice Summit is for you. With the upcoming shift of power in the Whitehouse, find out what YOU can do to take real action for the issues you care about!

There is a direct connection between our health and the health of the planet. Today, more than one billion adolescents- the largest number ever- are entering their reproductive years. At the same time, we face an increasing lack of access to reproductive health information and services and pressing global challenges like water scarcity, global warming, and poverty. The choices this generation makes will have an impact on our world for years to come.

We invite advocates ages 16-24 to tell us in an essay of no more than 500 words about the potential roles youth can play in advocating for a more just and sustainable world, where all people have access to sexual and reproductive health services and a healthy environment. Tell us how, if chosen to participate, you would use your experience from the One Voice Summit to create a year-long action plan that will make a difference on these issues in your school and/or community.

To qualify, contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 24, currently reside in the United States, and demonstrate a passion to work on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights and the environment. One reference is also required.

The organizers will fly the winning contestants to Washington, D.C. for the One Voice Summit taking place February 6- 9, 2009 taking place this Spring TBD. Accommodations and meals will also be covered.

CONTEST DEADLINE IS MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2008 at 5pm EST. The deadline has been pushed back to a later date, we will update you on when this is finalized.

For more information about the One Voice Summit or essay contest, please e-mail submissions@advocatesforyouth.org.

To submit your contest entry, please email the following completed form and the text of your essay to: submissions@advocatesforyouth.org.   No form for now, just email the address above for more application information.