2026 Ethics in Action Competition Insight

Have you ever been in a situation where the right thing to do was unclear? Ethical dilemmas occur every day in business. In these situations, knowing the right thing to do can be difficult because all choices have some undesirable consequences.

The NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT) is focused on helping individuals identify and respond to ethical dilemmas in their careers. To support this goal, the CPT is encouraging students to create videos for the 2026 Ethics in Action Video Competition that demonstrate the types of challenging ethical dilemmas people could face in their careers.

This competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students at colleges, junior colleges and universities in the United States and its territories. Videos can end with a thought-provoking question that challenges viewers to think about the best solution or videos can showcase a solution they believe would be most appropriate.

Winners will be chosen among the entries by a panel of expert judges that will include ethical leaders and subject matter experts. The panel of judges will review these videos and select winners based on originality, clarity, relevance and critical thinking. Sample video topics include but are not limited to conflicts of interest, misguided loyalty, ethical diversity or accountability and transparency.

Viewers’ Choice winners will be determined by the number of votes each video receives.

Category 1: Short Film (1-3 Minutes) and Category 2: Commercials (30-59 Seconds)

Video Submission Deadline: Open September 15, 2025, and closes on March 27, 2026

Viewers’ Choice Voting Period: April 13 – 17, 2026

Judges’ Choice Voting Period: March 30 – April 5, 2026

Winners Announced: April 27, 2026

If you would like to help spread the word or learn more about the 2026 Ethics in Action Video Competition, please click the link below.

*Prizes will be distributed in the form of Amazon Electronic Gift Cards.