Teach the Rain

A 5-Minute Global Video Challenge

Global Youth Voices on Rainwater

"Rain is everywhere — but understanding it is our shared responsibility."

Open now — EOI closes June 15, 2026
5 minutes
Max video length
Global
Any country, any language
3 Tracks
School · Open · YWP
Free
No fee to participate

1. Objective

Rain is everywhere. Rain is life. Yet across the world, rain is often misunderstood — seen as a risk, ignored as a resource, or disconnected from everyday life. As climate challenges intensify, there is a growing need to rethink how we understand, value, and manage rainwater: not only through science, but through culture, communication, and lived experience.

This initiative is aligned with the UN Rain School Initiative under the UN Water Action Agenda, connecting youth engagement with real-world education and action.

Participants are invited to interpret the theme: "Teach the Rain"

What should we teach about rain? Who should teach? Whom are we teaching? There is no fixed answer — only your perspective.

Young people are not just future leaders — they are today's communicators and creators. This challenge gives them a global platform to share how rain is perceived and used in their community, and to inspire others to rethink water.

2. Challenge Format

Can you teach the rain in 5 minutes?

Participants create a single video of up to 5 minutes, in any language, using any creative format they choose:

📖
Storytelling / documentary
🎵
Music / song / spoken word
💃
Dance / physical performance
🎨
Animation
🤖
AI-generated content
🎤
Interview / documentary

Participants may optionally choose one or more creative missions to guide their video:

Teach rain to someone who has never thought about it

Show how rain changes life in your place

Make people feel rain differently

You don't need to be an expert. You just need a story. No academic paper, no travel, no equipment budget required — participation is based on ideas, not resources.

3. Participation Tracks

To encourage broad and inclusive participation, the challenge is organized into three tracks:

🌧

Rain School Track

Secondary school students (age 12–18), anywhere in the world.

🌍

Open Track

General public and university students. Open to all ages.

💧

YWP Track

Young Water Professionals — IWA YWP network and beyond.

One challenge, three voices: students, citizens, professionals.

4. How to Participate

1

Expression of Interest (EOI)

Complete the short Google Form with your basic information and a 2–3 sentence description of your video idea. You do not need a finished video at this stage.

Deadline: June 15, 2026
2

Video Submission

After screening, accepted participants submit their 5-minute video via a link (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc.). Full instructions will be shared after Step 1.

Deadline: August 10, 2026

Register your EOI now — use the Google Form linked below.

Submitting an EOI does not guarantee selection. All applicants will receive a confirmation email and further details.

→ Submit your Expression of Interest

5. Evaluation & Voting

The central question is simple: How effectively did you teach the rain? The focus is on communication and inspiration — not technical complexity.

50%

Online voting

Global audience and partner networks vote publicly on submitted videos.

50%

On-site voting

Participants and jury at RWHM2026 vote during the final round event.

Evaluation criteria

Creativity and engagement

Is the video original, memorable, and captivating? Does it hold attention from start to finish?

Clarity of message

Is the core idea clear and understandable — even to someone unfamiliar with rainwater topics?

Impact and influence

Does the video inspire the viewer to think or act differently about rain and water?

Additional recognition may be given to the most-viewed and most-shared video on social media, to encourage wider global outreach.

6. Timeline

Now — June 15, 2026

Step 1 — Expression of Interest open

Submit your EOI via Google Form. Short idea description, no video required yet.

July 15, 2026

First screening results announced

Accepted participants notified and invited to submit their final video.

August 10, 2026

Step 2 — Final video submission deadline

Submit your completed 5-minute video via link.

September 3, 2026

Final round — RWHM2026 (hybrid event)

Finalists present at the 2026 International Rainwater Harvesting and Management Conference. Winners announced.

7. Awards & Recognition

Outstanding contributions will receive:

Certificates of achievement

Awards (details to be announced)

Global recognition and visibility across Rainforall.ngo and partner networks

Opportunity to present at future international seminars and events

Partner Networks & Outreach

IWA Young Water Professionals (YWP)International Rainwater Harvesting AllianceSARNETUN Rain School InitiativeUN Water Action AgendaRegional water networks

'Don't just watch the rain. Teach it.'

Join a global movement connecting youth, water, culture, and climate.

Questions? Contact us at info@rainforall.ngo