We inform college students that studying is its personal reward, and that’s definitely true. Nevertheless it’s additionally good to win cash and different prizes! Understanding they might acquire recognition or perhaps a prize for successful could be extremely motivating. This roundup contains the very best contests and competitions for highschool, center college, and elementary college college students.
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Contests and Competitions for Excessive Faculty College students
FEATURED PICK
The Edit
The Edit is a digital storytelling problem from NBCU Academy and Adobe. Your center or highschool college students will construct important communication and collaboration abilities as they plan, script, and produce their very own 90-second video information experiences on wellness subjects. Successful lecture rooms might be rewarded with prizes like GoPros, Fandango present playing cards, and extra!
AdCap Problem
Provide you with a giant concept to assist create significant change and more healthy college communities. Then use the AdCap undertaking designer to submit your concept, and compete for funding to convey your undertaking to life.
AFSA Nationwide Excessive Faculty Essay Contest
In the event you’re trying to assist college students take a deep dive into worldwide relations, historical past, and writing, look no additional than this essay contest. Winners obtain $2,500 plus full tuition to the Semester at Sea program in addition to a visit to Washington, D.C., to satisfy with a pacesetter on the Division of State.
All American Excessive Faculty Movie Competition
Pupil movies have the chance to develop into an Official Choice, screened on the AMC Empire 25 Theatres in Instances Sq., the busiest movie show in America! Every October, hundreds of scholar filmmakers collect in New York Metropolis for an action-packed weekend of assets and leisure, together with the Teen Indie Awards Present, the place over $500,000 in prizes and scholarships are handed out.
ArtEffect Undertaking
The ArtEffect Undertaking teaches center and highschool college students about their energy to impact optimistic change via artistic storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from historical past. College students submit high-quality artistic artwork tasks within the visible arts, narrative movie, theater, and inventive nonfiction genres. Winners can obtain hundreds of {dollars} in prizes.
Blue Ocean Competitors
Entrepreneurial highschool college students pitch their progressive enterprise concepts to obtain suggestions from specialists, in addition to the possibility to win prize cash. Teenagers can enter on their very own or as a workforce of as much as 4 individuals.
Breakthrough Junior Problem
College students submit a giant scientific concept in basic physics, life sciences, or arithmetic in video type. Winners obtain faculty scholarships, plus cash for his or her trainer and faculty.
BUILD’s Design Problem
College students in grades 7–12 use design considering to create options to real-world challenges. On this 10-hour expertise, college students develop entrepreneurial abilities and empathy whereas studying about prototyping and testing.
Congressional Artwork Competitors
Every spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide highschool visible artwork competitors. Winners are acknowledged each of their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The successful works are displayed for one 12 months on the U.S. Capitol.
Conrad Problem
Design an innovation, remedy an necessary downside, and set up your self as an entrepreneur. You may simply change the world within the course of! College students work in groups of two to 5 to compete for prizes akin to scholarships, pro-bono authorized and consulting providers, and a Dell Chromebook.
C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competitors
This nationwide contest invitations all center and highschool college students to create a five-to-seven-minute documentary based mostly on an annual theme.
DECA Aggressive Occasions
DECA prepares rising leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in advertising and marketing, finance, hospitality, and administration. DECA’s aggressive occasions could be grouped into three broad classes: role-plays and case research, ready occasions, and on-line simulations. Occasions happen across the nation and all year long.
Worldwide Compost Consciousness Week Poster Contest
College students create a poster for Worldwide Compost Consciousness Week, which takes place in Could. The winner will get $500 and the possibility to see their poster produced professionally.
Jane Austen Essay Contest
Highschool college students can win as much as $1,000 in scholarship cash by writing an essay on a brand new Austen theme annually, sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America.
NAQT Quiz Bowl
Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competitors wherein groups of 4 gamers compete to reply questions that cowl educational topics like literature and science in addition to the broader world of fashionable tradition and present occasions. Native center college and highschool tournaments ship their winners on to regional and nationwide championships.
Nationwide Educational League
As center and highschool scholar groups compete to reply questions aligned to nationwide requirements, they have to additionally cooperate and use teamwork to sort out every quarter’s new problem. Every college can area a workforce of 15 to 40, giving a lot of children an opportunity to take part.
Nationwide Historical past Day (NHD) Contest
Nationwide Historical past Day (NHD) is an annual occasion for academics and college students in grades 6–12 that promotes important considering abilities via project-based studying. College students start their journey by presenting their tasks in lecture rooms, colleges, and districts all over the world. High entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The highest two entries in each class on the state/affiliate degree are then invited to the Nationwide Contest.
Nationwide Younger Composers Problem
The problem is straightforward: First, college students write their very own composition for a small ensemble (two to 6 devices) or full orchestra. Then, a panel of judges chooses the highest three orchestral and high three ensemble compositions to be carried out and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra on the NYCC Composium held in Orlando, Florida.
New York Instances Pupil Writing Contests
Every month, the New York Instances proclaims a brand new writing contest for center and highschool college students ages 13 to 19. The subjects and necessities are totally different every month, with one thing to enchantment to all kinds of younger authors and journalists.
PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competitors
PicoCTF is a pc safety recreation for center and highschool college students. The sport consists of a collection of challenges centered round a novel storyline the place individuals should reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do no matter it takes to unravel the problem. The challenges are all arrange with the intent of being hacked, making it a superb, authorized technique to get hands-on expertise.
Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest
In search of scholar writing contests for budding playwrights? On this competitors, judged by the theater school of Princeton College, college students submit brief performs in an effort to win recognition and money prizes of as much as $500. (Be aware: Solely open to eleventh graders.)
Scholastic Artwork & Writing Awards
The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for artistic teenagers (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and provides children an opportunity to showcase their abilities for a few of the foremost leaders within the arts.
Clear up for Tomorrow
The Samsung Clear up for Tomorrow competitors invitations center and highschool academics to guide a gaggle of scholars in making a STEM-centered resolution that addresses a necessity of their communities. Lecturers and college students compete to win a share of $2 million for his or her colleges. The Nationwide Winner prize is $100,000 in expertise and classroom supplies.
Area Settlement Design Competitions
These occasions emulate, as intently as doable for highschool college students, the experiences of working as members of aerospace design and proposal groups. College students be taught cooperation, administration, and communication abilities. Finalists win the possibility to journey to Kennedy Area Middle!
Stossel within the Classroom
Stossel within the Classroom desires to know what highschool and center college college students take into consideration entrepreneurship and innovation. With $20,000 in money prizes up for grabs, children can enter the essay contest or the video contest. There are bonus prizes for academics too!
United States Educational Decathlon
The US Educational Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competitors for groups of highschool college students. Every highschool enters a workforce of 9 college students: three honors college students (3.80–4.00 GPA), three scholastic college students (3.20–3.799 GPA), and three varsity college students (0.00–3.199 GPA). They’ll want all kinds of educational data and abilities to come back out on high!
U.S. Nationwide Chemistry Olympiad
This tiered competitors for highschool college students consists of a collection of chemistry exams. Native winners transfer on to the nationwide examination, whose winners take part in a examine camp and worldwide examination contest over the summer season.
World of 8 Billion Video Contest
Center and highschool college students create a brief video—as much as 60 seconds lengthy—about human inhabitants development that highlights one of many following international challenges: local weather change, gender equality, or waste. Children can win as much as $1,200!
Contests and Competitions for Center Faculty College students
ArtEffect Undertaking
The ArtEffect Undertaking teaches center and highschool college students about their energy to impact optimistic change via artistic storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from historical past. College students submit high-quality artistic artwork tasks within the visible arts, narrative movie, theater, and inventive nonfiction genres. Winners can obtain hundreds of {dollars} in prizes.
BUILD’s Design Problem
College students in grades 7–12 use design considering to create options to real-world challenges. On this 10-hour expertise, college students develop entrepreneurial abilities and empathy whereas studying about prototyping and testing.
C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competitors
This nationwide contest invitations all center and highschool college students to create a five-to-seven-minute documentary based mostly on an annual theme.
Future Metropolis Competitors
Future Metropolis is a project-based studying program wherein college students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades think about, analysis, design, and construct cities of the long run.
The Hardest Math Drawback
This contest challenges college students in grades 6–8 to observe important considering supported by correct computation. Each children and their academics are eligible for prizes.
NAQT Quiz Bowl
Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competitors wherein groups of 4 gamers compete to reply questions that cowl educational topics like literature and science in addition to the broader world of fashionable tradition and present occasions. Native center college and highschool tournaments ship their winners on to regional and nationwide championships.
Nationwide Educational League
As center and highschool scholar groups compete to reply questions aligned to nationwide requirements, they have to additionally cooperate and use teamwork to sort out every quarter’s new problem. Every college can area a workforce of 15 to 40, giving a lot of children an opportunity to take part.
Nationwide Historical past Day (NHD) Contest
Nationwide Historical past Day (NHD) is an annual occasion for academics and college students in grades 6–12 that promotes important considering abilities via project-based studying. College students start their journey by presenting their tasks in lecture rooms, colleges, and districts all over the world. High entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The highest two entries in each class on the state/affiliate degree are then invited to the Nationwide Contest.
New Moon Ladies
New Moon Ladies publishes contributions from ladies ages 8–14. The journal publishes 4 instances annually, and submissions usually tend to be printed in the event that they match an upcoming editorial theme.
New York Instances Pupil Writing Contests
Every month, the New York Instances proclaims a brand new writing contest for center and highschool college students ages 13 to 19. The subjects and necessities are totally different every month, with one thing to enchantment to all kinds of younger authors and journalists.
Ocean Consciousness Contest
College students ages 11 to 18 can study environmental points via art-making and inventive communication, discover their relationship to a altering world, and develop into advocates for optimistic change. Submit a chunk recognizing local weather change heroes, utilizing visible arts, poetry and inventive writing, movie, performing arts, or multimedia. Prizes embrace money awards and eligibility for particular alternatives.
PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competitors
PicoCTF is a pc safety recreation for center and highschool college students. The sport consists of a collection of challenges centered round a novel storyline the place individuals should reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do no matter it takes to unravel the problem. The challenges are all arrange with the intent of being hacked, making it a superb, authorized technique to get hands-on expertise.
Promising Younger Writers Program
Lecturers and colleges can nominate eighth grade college students to compete on this contest. Nominees submit an article based mostly on the 12 months’s immediate. Winners obtain certificates in varied ranges of distinction.
Ranger Rick Photograph Contest
Children 13 and below can enter any nature-themed photograph they’ve taken on their very own utilizing a digicam or cellphone digicam app. Each month, winners might be chosen by the judges and posted on the competition homepage within the Current Contest Winners slideshow. On-line winners might be within the operating for Ranger Rick’s “Your Finest Pictures” Journal Award. Journal Award winners might be chosen thrice annually for publication in Ranger Rick journal’s December–January, April, and August points.
Rubber Band Contest
This contest challenges college students in grades 5–8 to design and create a working invention/paintings that comes with a minimum of one rubber band. College students can compete in considered one of two separate divisions: Arts & Leisure or Science & Engineering. Winners obtain as much as $300.
Scholastic Artwork & Writing Awards
The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for artistic teenagers (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and provides children an opportunity to showcase their abilities for a few of the foremost leaders within the arts.
Clear up for Tomorrow
The Samsung Clear up for Tomorrow competitors invitations center and highschool academics to guide a gaggle of scholars in making a STEM-centered resolution that addresses a necessity of their communities. Lecturers and college students compete to win a share of $2 million for his or her colleges. The Nationwide Winner prize is $100,000 in expertise and classroom supplies.
Stossel within the Classroom
Stossel within the Classroom desires to know what highschool and center college college students take into consideration entrepreneurship and innovation. With $20,000 in money prizes up for grabs, children can enter the essay contest or the video contest. There are bonus prizes for academics too!
World of 8 Billion Video Contest
Center and highschool college students create a brief video—as much as 60 seconds lengthy—about human inhabitants development that highlights one of many following international challenges: local weather change, gender equality, or waste. Children can win as much as $1,200!
Younger Scientist Problem
College students in grades 5–8 create a one-to-two-minute video describing a brand new, progressive resolution that would remedy an on a regular basis downside. Ten finalists might be chosen for his or her ardour for science, spirit of innovation and ingenuity, and efficient communication abilities.
YouthPLAYS Potential Authors
Authors 19 and below can submit a one-act play to the New Voices competitors. They’re notably desirous about performs that talk to BIPOC teenagers and youth.
Contests and Competitions for Elementary Faculty College students
Doodle for Google
Do you know that every 12 months, one scholar in grades Ok–5 has an opportunity to see their very own doodle featured on the Google search web page? This annual contest offers children the chance to succeed in hundreds of thousands of viewers with their design.
New Moon Ladies
New Moon Ladies publishes contributions from ladies ages 8 to 14. The journal publishes 4 instances annually, and submissions usually tend to be printed in the event that they match an upcoming editorial theme.
Ranger Rick Photograph Contest
Children 13 and below can enter any nature-themed photograph they’ve taken on their very own, utilizing a digicam or cellphone digicam app. Each month, judges choose winners and publish them on the competition homepage within the Current Contest Winners slideshow. On-line winners might be within the operating for Ranger Rick’s “Your Finest Pictures” Journal Award. Journal Award winners might be chosen thrice annually for publication in Ranger Rick journal’s December–January, April, and August points.
Contests and Competitions for College students of All Ages
90-Second Newbery Movie Competition
The 90-Second Newbery Movie Competition is an annual video contest wherein younger filmmakers create films that inform your complete story of a Newbery award–successful e book in about 90 seconds. Successful entries are screened at occasions nationwide together with in New York, Chicago, and Boston.
Celebrating Artwork
This contest is open to Ok–12 college students attending public colleges, homeschool, and artwork studios. Children and academics can win prizes, classroom provides, and extra!
Constituting America: We the Future
College students can win scholarship cash by submitting an entry to this annual contest, and academics can too! There are a number of classes with particular prompts for every, together with songs, essays, STEM tasks, and extra. Lecturers obtain a $50 Amazon present card when a minimum of 10 of their college students submit an entry.
Discovery Award
The Lowell Milken Middle for Unsung Heroes Discovery Award offers college students in grades 4–12 a novel alternative to analysis main sources and develop excellent tasks that characteristic unsung heroes who can function function fashions and encourage others to create change.
EngineerGirl Writing Contest
Every year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with subjects centered on the influence of engineering on the world. College students can win as much as $500 in prize cash. This contest is a pleasant bridge between ELA and STEM and nice for academics desirous about incorporating an interdisciplinary undertaking into their curriculum. It’s open to college students in grades 3 and up.
Invention Conference
The Invention Conference program is a Ok–12 project-based studying curriculum that helps college students be taught to suppose critically and establish issues of their world. Inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to compete at prestigious annual occasions.
NASA CineSpace Quick Movie Competitors
Opponents submit a brief movie impressed by, and utilizing, precise footage from NASA’s digital archives for an opportunity to earn money prizes and have their movie screened on the Houston Cinema Arts Competition, held every November. Though entrants should be a minimum of 18 to enter, dad and mom and guardians can enter submissions on behalf of their youthful youngsters.
NASA Langley Pupil Artwork Contest
The competition is open to all Ok–12 college students attending public, personal, parochial, and residential colleges who’re residents of the US, and grades Ok–12 of U.S. navy members stationed abroad.
Nationwide Historical past Bowl
The Nationwide Historical past Bowl is a buzzer-based historical past quiz competitors for groups of as much as six college students ages 19 or youthful. Native competitions ship their winners on to compete within the nationwide championships.
Nationwide PTA Reflections Awards
College students of all ages create and submit authentic artworks within the areas of dance choreography, movie manufacturing, literature, music composition, pictures, and visible arts. Native winners transfer on to the regional, state, and nationwide ranges. Nationwide-level awards embrace an $800 prize and a visit to the Nationwide PTA Conference.
Scope Writing Contests
Scope journal (printed by Scholastic) options all kinds of contests to excite college students in grades 4–12 about writing. Plus they’ll win superior prizes!
Scripps Nationwide Spelling Bee
Is the nation’s subsequent spelling champion in your personal classroom? Discover out by holding your personal spelling bee, then sending the winner on to compete in regional competitions resulting in the last word nationwide competitors. College students as much as age 16 are eligible to take part.
SIBA Invention Competitors
The Pupil Concepts for a Higher America contest welcomes purposes from pre-Ok via twelfth grade. Enter any concept for a brand new technique to reveal an academic idea, an concept for a brand new product, or an enchancment for an present product or process.
College students With Options
Have interaction your college students in bullying prevention with this competitors. College students watch a video adopted by a handout evaluation. Then they reply to the content material in their very own artistic manner via artwork, writing, graphics, or movies for the possibility to win prizes for his or her college.
Telling Room Founders Prize
College students ages 6–18 can submit fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to The Telling Room. Every year, they award the Founders Prize to the very best piece of writing to come back out of a Telling Room program.
