2026 Middle School Student Sound Off

Now in its fourth year, AMLE’s Middle School Student Sound Off is a world-wide celebration of young adolescent student voice. Open to ages 10-15, students are invited to sound off by creating submissions that share their experience as a middle schooler in 2026. 

AMLE will select submissions to feature on our website, in the forthcoming new edition of The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, and at AMLE26: The 53rd Annual Conference for Middle Level Education. Plus, there are some cool prizes in store for all participants!

View 2026 Winners

2026 Contest Prompts

Students can SOUND OFF on any aspect of their middle school experience in response to any of the prompts below. Because we all have different talents, interests, and ways of expressing ourselves, students can submit in the format that most appeals to them.
  • Being a middle schooler is like…
  • I feel happiest when…
  • I feel safest at school when…
  • I wish the adults in my life better understood…
  • Something that really matters to me is…
  • One of the biggest challenges or opportunities of being a middle schooler today is…
  • An adult in my life that is really important to me is…
  • An adult in my life that makes me feel safest being myself is…
  • An adult in my life that cheers the loudest for me is…
  • An adult in my life that I really admire, or see as a role model is…

After you’ve reviewed the contest details below, be sure to submit your sound off by April 3, 2026! Need some inspiration? Check out the finalists from 2023, 2024 and 2025.

View 2026 Winners

Contest Timeline

March 1
Submission Portal Opens

Students can begin sounding off on the various prompts and uploading their submissions.

April 3
Submission Portal Closes

Last day for students to submit their sound off projects.

May 12
Contest Winners Announced

Winners notified and announced in AMLE Focus on the Middle and AMLE social media channels.

November 4-7
Finalists Submissions Displayed at AMLE26

The 53rd Annual Conference for Middle Level Education in Nashville, Tennessee

Contest Details

Any child, anywhere in the world, aged 10-15 as of March 31, 2026. Each participant must have the support of an educator and parent/guardian to submit.

Students can submit in the format that most appeals to them. Past submissions have included essays, poetry, podcasts, videos, original compositions, artwork, programmed video games, and more! As long as it is an authentic representation of your middle school experience created by you (no AI, please!), we will accept the submission.

Students can submit their Sound Off by completing the registration form, including an upload or link to their submission. As a reminder, students must provide the name of a supporting teacher and parent. 

Note: If you are sharing a link to your submission, please remember to set your sharing permission for the file to public!

Submission are evaluated by a panel of judges based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to the Theme: What’s it like being a middle schooler in 2026?
  • Effectiveness/Overall Appearance in Selected Medium: Does the student show great command and skill in their chosen medium?
  • Originality/Creativity: Has the student taken their chosen medium and applied it in a way that is totally their own? Does the student’s personality and voice come through clearly and relevantly?
  • Clarity of Message: Are the elements of the student’s message clearly recognizable and precise?

Contest Prizes

Overall Contest Winner

The first prize winner will receive an invitation to be recognized at AMLE26 November 4-7, 2026*, a $250 Amazon gift card, a plaque acknowledging their accomplishment, and recognition on the AMLE website and in new edition of The Successful Middle School: This We Believe.

Finalists

Up to five finalists will each receive a $100 Amazon gift card, a plaque acknowledging their accomplishment, and recognition at the AMLE26 Annual Conference and in new edition of The Successful Middle School: This We Believe.

Honorable Mentions

All other students selected to have their entries displayed at AMLE26 Annual Conference will also receive a $20 Amazon gift card.

All Participating Students

All participating students will receive a certificate of participation and a laptop sticker.

Have questions about the contest? Contact AMLE at membercenter@amle.org.

*AMLE will provide airfare, three nights hotel accommodations, and complimentary registration for the winning student, one chaperone, and their sponsoring teacher to attend the AMLE26 Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.