Speaking 4 the Planet (S4P) is a public speaking, spoken word and visual arts competition created to provide opportunities for students to express their ideas for a better world.
With the UN’s World Environment Day theme as a starting point, students prepare and deliver punchy, quirky, creative and pointed speeches, spoken word performances, impromptu dramas or artworks designed to influence the thoughts, emotions and actions of the viewing audience and, of course, the judging panel. Since 2013, high school students in NSW, Australia have been participating in S4P competitions. Educator Phil Smith created the competitions as a way of highlighting World Environment Day (WED), which is run by the United Nations Environment Programme.
S4P has been held annually in Christchurch since 2019.