The Mahsa Amini Award

This award is named after the young Iranian girl whose death was a source of inspiration for the Woman-Life-Freedom movement. The Mahsa Amini award aims to promote humanity and freedom by supporting human right activists across the globe, regardless of their nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, country of origin, age, political party, etc. 

The 2026 Mahsa Amini Social Media Contest

This year's award focuses on supporting Dutchess County Pride Center. The Dutchess County Pride Center’s goal is supporting, educating, and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, focusing on LGBTQ+ youth. Dutchess County Pride Center does this by providing social and support programs to all members of the local LGBTQ+ community. We invite you to create short social media videos that amplify awareness of the needs, challenges, and lived experiences of the transgender community.

Use the Mahsa Amini Brightspace website to submit your video. The submission deadline is Monday, March 31, at 11:55 p.m. ET. 

This year's award focuses on supporting Dutchess County Pride Center. The Dutchess County Pride Center’s goal is supporting, educating, and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, focusing on LGBTQ+ youth. Dutchess County Pride Center does this by providing social and support programs to all members of the local LGBTQ+ community. We invite you to create short social media videos that amplify awareness of the needs, challenges, and lived experiences of the transgender community.

Use the Mahsa Amini Brightspace website to submit your video. The submission deadline is Monday, March 31, at 11:55 p.m. ET. 

Cash Prize and Recognitions

• The first and second-place winners, as determined by the award committee, will receive cash prizes of $500 and $300, respectively. Additionally, there will be a $200 cash prize for the audience's choice during the award ceremony.

Please note all cash prizes are subject to income tax requirements.

Tips for creating impactful social media content

1. Harness the Power of Storytelling: Humans have an inherent love for stories that spans generations. Storytelling has proven to be an effective way to capture audience's attention and make a profound impact. In your content, adopt a creative perspective to narrate the inspiring work of Dutchess County Pride Center team, raising awareness about their initiatives. Share compelling stories about those who have been helped or the helpers themselves—their journeys, dreams, and contributions to society. 

   2. Embrace a Creative Approach: Rational ideas are good but not always good enough to capture attention! Foster creativity by writing down 100 ideas about the content you want to create. Initially, the most rational ideas come to mind, but pushing through to reach 100 allows more creative and novel connections to surface. This effort results in unique, attention-grabbing, and influential content.

   3. Search for Interesting Stories: Explore online media or connect with The Dutchess County Pride Center during the workshop to discover inspiring stories that can enrich your content. Here is a link to stories shared by The Dutchess County Pride Center team: https://www.dutchesspride.org/newsroom 

   4. Include a Call to Action: Conclude your video with a call to action, encouraging your audience to donate to Dutchess County Pride Center or support LGBTQ community. Remember, audiences are more receptive to calls to action after engaging with deep and inspiring stories. If you choose to encourage donations or gifts, here is the link to The Dutchess County Pride Center donation page that you can include at the end of your video: https://www.dutchesspride.org/donation-page 

Here are two examples of effective social media content with creative ideas that raise awareness and call for support for a social cause. 

Contest Rules

1. By submitting your video, you agree that your content may be shared with Dutchess County Pride Center for promotional purposes, while your intellectual rights will be recognized.

2. Students can choose to participate individually or as a group.

3. Participants are allowed to use publicly available images and videos. If you decide to film someone and feature them in the video, you are responsible for obtaining written consent from those whose faces appear in the video [or their voice can be recognized].

4. All content must be original and created by the participant. Feel free to leverage AI tools to elevate the creativity and professionalism of your video.

5. You are required to submit two files: 1) the video and 2) a Word document that includes the source of information, adopted images or videos, and acknowledges the use of AI tools (if applicable).

6. The content must be in video format, lasting longer than 20 seconds but shorter than 2 minutes. 

7. Content is encouraged to highlight stories of individuals overcoming challenges, such as suffering abuses, and finding relief through advocacy and support. The focus should be on inspiring action and showcasing the impact of having their voices heard, rather than solely emphasizing the hardships they faced. Stories should motivate and engage the audience, driving awareness and meaningful involvement. 

8. Content must adopt a humane and compassionate perspective, avoiding any political messages. 

9. Content must not include severe physical injuries, nudity, or hate speech.

10. Winners from the previous year are not eligible to participate in this year's competition.

Award committee:

Director: Dr. Mohammadali Koorank Beheshti, Assistant Professor of Marketing

Dr. Kristin Bayer, Associate Professor of History

Dr. Addrain Conyers, Associate Professor of Crime and Justice Studies

Dr. Amanda Damiano, Associate Professor of Communication

Dr. Cara Marta Messina, Assistant Professor of English

Dr. Stephen Woo, Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies

Dr. Madeline Ullrich, Assistant Professor of Television Studies