Share Your M.O., Skype With Monique Coleman

Modus operandi (M.O.): Latin for "mode of operation." It's the way you do things, how you work. Can it make the world a better place?

Youth Service America (YSA) is joining forces with Monique Coleman (the UN's current Youth Champion and High School Musical actress) to get to the bottom of what drives youth engagement in this country. Specifically, YSA and Mo' want to know your M.O.

"Tell us how you are drawing awareness to an issue and getting your friends and peers to make a change," the What's Your M.O. Video Contest challenges. Are you a volunteer? An advocate? A money-raiser? A protester? What's the cause that gets you going? There's no right answer, obviously but there will be a winner ... and said winner will get to Skype with Ms. Coleman, one-on-one, when all is said and done. Here's how you enter:

+Film a :60 - :90 video answering illustrating your service M.O.

+Upload that sucker to YouTube.

+Email the link to communications@ysa.org.

You may want to download these tips for filming a killer video, and you'll probably want to review the official rules to make sure you qualify. You have until Friday to enter, so hustle to it. ... and while you're at it, keep the camera rolling and film a pitch for what you'd do with a trillion dollars if you had it to spend on the greater good. The second annual If I Had A Trillion Dollars Youth Film Festival is accepting submissions through January 15, 2012, for videos explaining how you'd get the most social change bang for your buck.

Get yourself camera-ready and share your ideas with the world. You never know what might catch on.

This article was originally published on MTVAct, MTV's action blog. It is reprinted here with permission.