2025 BARCELONA
IT’S UP TO ME TO…
Another incredible group of young speakers captivated the audience at Barcelona’s CosmoCaixa on 6 April 2025, with speeches inspired by the theme ‘It’s Up to Me To… ’, reflecting their unique potential to create change, take responsibility and make an impact in their own way.
Teenagers in 4th ESO and 1st Bachillerato across Spain were invited to submit a 60 to 90-second video in English, sharing a glimpse of their ideas for a speech based on this theme. From these submissions, 21 individuals were selected to join a transformative, day-long Bootcamp at No20, a coworking and events space in Vilassar de Mar (Barcelona).
At the Bootcamp, they learned essential skills for crafting and delivering compelling speeches, guided by our experienced public speakers and mentors, Gabriella Opaz and Carrie Frais. From the Bootcamp participants, 12 finalists were chosen to showcase their talents in the Grand Finale, which took place at CosmoCaixa in Barcelona on 6 April 2025. Our 12 teen finalists blew us away with their passion, talent and powerful messages. It was an emotional and inspiring event, and these young speakers truly showed us that their voices matter.
4Voices are so proud of all our 12 finalists and while we firmly believe that all of them were winners the competition did once again award prizes so congratulations to:
FIRST
Milana Shaposhnyk (International School Maresme)
Your voice matters: the war is real and so is your power to change it
SECOND
Ecko Metcalfe (Barcelona High School)
LPT: leave positive trace
THIRD
Pol Obradó (Garbí Pere Vergés)
Disconnect to reconnect

Pol Obradó, Milana Shaposhnyk, Ecko Metcalfe
Visit our YouTube channel to watch full versions of all the speeches
Read an interview with Milana Shaposhnyk
‘It’s up to me to…’ is a call to action for the next generation. Teenagers today are inheriting a complex world and we need their energy, ideas and courage to shape a better future. This competition is about empowering our youth to realise that their voice matters, their actions count and that real change starts with the decision to step up and say, ‘It’s up to me’.
Public speaking is more than just a skill. It is a transformative experience that equips young people with the confidence to articulate their ideas and the courage to step into their potential. Over the past three years, we’ve seen participants in our events not only excel in competitions but carry their newfound abilities into their education, careers and personal lives. From acing university presentations to starting entrepreneurial ventures, these teenagers prove that the power of effective communication can open doors. This is why we believe in the life-changing impact of giving young people a voice and the tools to make them heard.

