Drama/Skit-Making Challenge 2026
Tell Your Story. Inspire Your Peers.
What if a young person could use a simple drama to start a conversation, challenge harmful behaviour, educate their peers, and inspire positive change in their community?
The #YoungPeoplesSafetyMatters Drama/Skit-Making Challenge 2026 gives adolescents and young people aged 14–25 years an opportunity to use creativity, acting, storytelling and lived experiences to create meaningful stories about issues affecting young people.
The challenge is designed as a peer-to-peer learning and advocacy activity, giving young people a platform to educate, influence and inspire their peers and communities.
Three Key Thematic Areas
Each contest topic speaks to these three key thematic areas of the UNESCO Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme.
Contest Topics
Click any topic to learn more from trusted UN sources:
How to Participate
Let Your Peers Support Your Story
CYDI will reshare selected Drama/Skit videos on its official Facebook Page. Once your video is reshared, encourage your friends, family, peers and community members to engage with it.
Videos receiving the highest numbers of likes, comments and shares will be considered for selection to the next stage.
Only two Drama/Skits per category will proceed to the Virtual Selection of Winner and Grand Contest.
Virtual Selection of Winner
The shortlisted Drama/Skits will be screened during the Virtual Selection of Winner.
The makers and/or actors behind the selected stories will face a panel of judges and answer questions about their stories, inspiration, characters, creative process, and the change they hope to create.
Your Vote Matters
An Online Voting Form using Google Forms will be provided to participants and viewers during the Virtual Selection of Winner on 12 September 2026.
After watching the shortlisted Drama/Skits, viewers will be able to vote for their preferred story.
The winner in each category will be determined by combining the online voting results with the scores awarded by the panel of judges.
Helpful Resources for Your Story
Need accurate information, ideas or inspiration while creating your Drama/Skit? Explore these trusted resources from organisations working on the same issues:
UNESCO
Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme & Comprehensive Sexuality Education materials on HIV prevention, GBV and teenage pregnancy.
Visit UNESCO O3 →UNICEF
Resources on HIV prevention, adolescent health, gender-based violence and protecting the rights of young people.
Visit UNICEF HIV →CYDI
Learn more about Community & Youth Development Initiatives and our work with young people across Nigeria.
Visit CYDI Blog →Ready to Tell Your Story?
Record your Drama/Skit, post it on Facebook, tag @cydi2k, use #YoungPeoplesSafetyMatters, and then complete the application form.
APPLY NOW
What Makes a Great Drama/Skit?
We are looking for stories that are creative, relevant, original, informative, thought-provoking and inspiring.
A strong Drama/Skit should capture the attention of young people while communicating an important message about their health, safety, relationships, rights, choices, and future.
Your Story. Your Voice. Your Impact.
Use your voice to speak to your peers, challenge harmful behaviours, promote healthy choices and inspire positive change.
Our Rights. Our Lives. Our Future.