Speak Up, Save a Life PSA Contest

Student Leadership → Speak Up, Save a Life PSA Contest

In honor of two young Montgomery County residents who lost their lives to illicit fentanyl, Michael Pisarra and Matthew Loudoun, the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office of Montgomery County hosts an annual contest that challenges middle and high school students to create an original video to promote awareness of the dangers of opioid abuse or overdose and fentanyl among teens.

contest Information and psa resources

2026 Speak Up, Save a Life Winners

First Place Winner

“Your Body Knows” by Katarina Kresslin from Poolesville High School

Second Place Winner

“67 Saves Lives” by Allison Shaw and Ashalina Haque from Seneca Valley High School

Third Place Winner

“Holes Cannot Be Filled” by Max Kander and Mason Smolar from Newport Mill Middle School

Honorable Mentions

Jayden Rock, Odessa Shannon MS
Erin Walker, Parkland MS
Federica Albanese, John F. Kennedy HS
Omar Sharaf, Magruder HS
Louis "Tiernan" Weber, Adrian Ohern, Carmel Broder, Winston Churchill HS
Erik Zetterli, Thomas Pyle MS
Adrian Gonzalez, Alex Orellana, DJ Ormsby, Shady Grove MS
Sophie Pires, Westland MS
Aryav Bathla, Kingsview MS
Joshua Lipson, Elena Marie Lipson, The German International School Washington (GISW) in Potomac, MD

PSA Contest (Closes January 4, 2026 – 10 SSL Hour Opportunity)

PSA Requirements

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 address at least one of the following as it relates to illegal drug use:
- Statistics or factual information about opioids, drug abuse, overdose, accidental overdose and/or fentanyl.
- Impact of peer pressure or mental health issues.
- Examples of healthy choices when it comes to avoiding the use of illegal drugs.
- Bystander intervention (i.e., seeking help from a trusted adult, Naloxone, the Good Samaritan Law)
All submissions must include the visual link knowtherisksmc.org or the QR code and logo as a resource.
Submissions may 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.

Student Timeline

Create a PSA

by January 4, 2026

Access the Submission Form

View and Vote on Fan Favorite PSA

Attend the Save a Student Summit
Saturday, Februrary 21, 2026

10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Wheaton HS

Students engaged in workshops on opioid prevention, Narcan training, and hear the announcement of the Speak Up, Save A Life PSA Contest winners.

All student participants earned 3 SSL hours and received a Narcan kit.

School Timeline

Submit Liaison Contact Information
By October 24, 2025

Submission Form

Promote Contest Information
Until January 4, 2026

More Information

Students Vote on PSA Videos
January 20 - January 26, 2026

Submission form will be available on January 20, 2026

Principals Attest to Promotion Efforts
By January 26, 2026

Attestation Form