Choose Respect Montgomery runs an annual video contest encouraging teens to create a 60 second video on dating violence and prevention.

Contest Rules - PLEASE READ ALL RULES VERY CAREFULLY!

This contest challenges teens to create an original video to promote awareness of dating violence/abuse among teens.
**Video entries illustrating child abuse, bullying, cyberbullying, and adult domestic violence will not be accepted.**
Participants are encouraged to be creative! If you need motivation, scroll down to see the past winners.

Eligibility	This contest is open to all 6th - 12th grade students living in Montgomery County.  Students can enter the contest on their own or as a group; however, students may only participate in ONE  entry. If a student in any way participates in more than one PSA video, all of those entries will be  disqualified.
Rules	All submissions must have a title. All submissions must be in either English or Spanish.  All submissions must be 50-70 seconds in length.  All submissions must be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, or similar program.  You will then have to provide us with the link via our Online Contest Submission Form. All submissions must address at least one of the following as it relates to dating violence : Physical abuse, emotional/verbal abuse, types of technological abuse, financial abuse or issues around consent. Examples of healthy behaviors in a relationship. Bystander intervention (how to step in and help a friend who is being abused). All submissions must include the Montgomery County Family Justice Center - 240-773-0444 as the resource where victims of domestic violence and dating abuse can get help.  To be considered to win and to earn SSL hours, submissions must reflect careful planning, thoughtful insight into the material presented, and accurate and thorough coverage of the content. Submissions must NOT include ANY copyrighted music, audio/video clips, characters, logos, or other protected material. Videos may include music only if it is considered “open source” music, or if it is composed and played by a student (or students) in the group. Submissions CANNOT be a video created for a previous year's Choose Respect contest. To be eligible to win, at least one team member must participate in the 2022 Spring event (date to be determined). If your video wins, all team members must provide signed consent and release forms to be eligible to receive the prizes. If under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must sign the form.
SSL Hours	Submissions that follow the qulifications stated above and that show careful planning, thoughtful insight into the material presented, and accurate and thorough coverage of the content will receive 10 SSL hours.  The organizers of the contest will send student information directly to the MCPS SSL Office and they will be added in late April 2022. Students do not need to fill out an SSL hour form for this contest.
Judging	All submissions will be reviewed by a judging panel, with cash prizes going to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, and Honorable Mention prizes going to 4th and 5th place. A “Fan Favorite” will also be selected from the Top 5 via public vote during the month of March, and will receive an additional prize. The winning videos will be announced at an event in Spring 2022 (date to be determined). Winning students must participate in the Spring event.
Prizes	1st place cash prize of $1,000 2nd place cash prize of $750 3rd place cash prize of $500 4th and 5th Place will receive Amazon Gift Cards Fan Favorite cash prize of $500
To Enter	Create your video, and make sure it follows all of the rules listed above. Upload your video to Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, or similar program. Enable the share option on Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, or similar program. Fill out and submit the Online PSA Contest Submission Form (click this link).

The 2021 Winners are:

1st Place and Fan Favorite: "Love Should Never Hurt" Yifan from Poolesville High School  Yixuan from Takoma Park Middle School

2nd Place "Boys Will Be Boys" Jillian and Juliana from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School

3rd Place "Guys Can Be Victims Too" Asher from Eastern Middle School

Honorable Mention "I Promise" Natasha and Saron from Paint Branch High School

Honorable Mention "False Reflections" Annelise from Rockville High School

 

2020
1st Place and Fan Favorite - "I'm the Victim" - Northwood High School 
2nd Place - "He Loves Me" - Roberto Clemente Middle School 
3rd Place - "Our Memories" - Richard Montgomery High School 
Honorable Mention - "Distraction" - Eastern Middle School 
Honorable Mention - "Excuses" - Poolesville High School

2019 2nd Place -  "It Was All Her Fault" - Roberto Clemente Middle School
3rd Place -  "Dear Diary" - Roberto Clemente Middle School
Honorable Mention and Fan Favorite - "You are Not Alone!" - Winston Churchill High School
Honorable Mention - "There Is Another Side" - Northwood High School​

2018
1st Place - "Text Me Back, K?" - Wootton High School
2nd Place - "Triad" - Tryka Film Coalition
3rd Place - "Isolation" - Sherwood High School
Honorable Mention and Fan Favorite - "I'm Fine." - Richard Montgomery High School 
Honorable Mention - "Because He Told Me So" - The Girl Scouts

2017
​1st Place and Fan Favorite - "Because He Loves Me" - ​Northwest High School
Honorable Mention - This is My Story - Hallie Wells Middle School​

2016
1st Place - "I Came, I Saw, I Conquered" - Roberto Clemente Middle School
2nd Place - "Abuse Does Not Discriminate" - Sherwood High School
3rd Place - "Don't Be Silenced" - Forrest Oak Middle School
Honorable Mention - "Why Me?" - Gaithersburg High School
Honorable Mention - "Does He Really Like You?" - Wheaton High School

2015
1st Place - "Bruises" - James Hubert Blake High School
2nd Place - "Out of the Dark" - James Hubert Blake High School
3rd Place - "Locked" - James Hubert Blake High School
Honorable Mention - "It Has To End" - James Hubert Blake High School
Honorable Mention - "There's No Excuse" - Sherwood High School