We inform college students that studying is its personal reward, and that’s actually true. But it surely’s additionally good to win cash and different prizes! Figuring out they might acquire recognition or perhaps a prize for profitable will be extremely motivating for college students. Plus, scholar contests give children the chance to attach their pursuits to the true world. Right here’s an inventory of fantastic contests to interact each type of scholar in your classroom.
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STEM (Science, Expertise, Engineering, and Math) Pupil Contests
AdCap Problem
Give you a giant concept to assist create significant change and more healthy faculty communities. Then use the AdCap challenge designer to submit your concept, and compete for funding to convey your challenge to life. (For college students 13+)
Biomimicry Youth Design Problem
The Youth Design Problem (YDC) is a free hands-on, project-based studying expertise that gives classroom and casual educators with a brand new framework to introduce biomimicry and an interdisciplinary lens on science and environmental literacy.
Breakthrough Junior Problem
Children ages 13–18 can submit a giant scientific concept in elementary physics, life sciences, or arithmetic in video type. Winners obtain faculty scholarships, plus cash for his or her trainer and college.
Conrad Problem
Design an innovation, resolve an vital downside, and set up your self as an entrepreneur. You would possibly simply change the world within the course of! College students ages 13–18 work in groups of two to 5 to compete for prizes akin to scholarships, pro-bono authorized and consulting providers, and a Dell Chromebook.
EngineerGirl Writing Contest
Annually, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with matters centered on the impression of engineering on the world, and 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 enthusiastic about incorporating an interdisciplinary challenge into their curriculum.
Future Metropolis
Future Metropolis is a project-based studying program through which 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 essential considering supported by correct computation. Each children and their academics are eligible for prizes.
Worldwide Compost Consciousness Week Poster Contest
College students in ninth grade and up can create a poster for Worldwide Compost Consciousness Week. The winner will get $500 and the prospect to see their poster produced professionally.
Invention Conference
The Invention Conference program is a project-based studying curriculum to assist college students be taught to assume critically by figuring out issues of their world.
NASA CineSpace Quick Movie Competitors
College students can 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 Pageant, held every November.
PepsiCo Recycle Rally Contests
Encourage pleasant competitors all through your faculty or expressing creativity by writing and designing with a PepsiCo Recycle Rally contest. Select from the Frequent Recycler Program or Recycling Development Plan.
PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competitors
PicoCTF is a pc safety sport for center and highschool college students. The sport consists of a collection of challenges centered round a novel story line the place contributors should reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do no matter it takes to resolve the problem. The challenges are all arrange with the intent of being hacked, making it a superb, authorized solution to get hands-on expertise.
Rubber Band Contest
This contest challenges college students in grades 5–8 to design and create a working invention/paintings that comes with no less than one rubber band. College students can compete in one in every of two separate divisions: Arts & Leisure or Science & Engineering. Winners obtain as much as $300.
SIBA Invention Competitors
The Pupil Concepts for a Higher America contest welcomes functions from pre-Ok by twelfth grade. Enter any concept for a brand new solution to display an academic idea, an concept for a brand new product, or an enchancment for an current product or process.
Slingshot Problem
Supported by the Nationwide Geographic Society and the Paul G. Allen Household Basis, the Slingshot Problem goals to determine and assist the following era of problem-solvers, advocates, and stewards of the planet.
To enter the slingshot problem, college students ages 13-18 should produce a 1-minute video with their answer to a present environmental downside (assume: uniting inventive waste reducers on social media or rehabilitating forests affected by hearth) no later than February 1, 2024 for the prospect to obtain as much as $10,000 in funding.
Resolve for Tomorrow
The Samsung Resolve for Tomorrow competitors invitations academics to guide a bunch of scholars in making a STEM-centered answer that addresses a necessity of their communities. As groups are chosen to maneuver by every part, they’re requested to offer extra challenge particulars and are awarded prizes of accelerating worth. Academics and college students will compete to win a share of $2 million for his or her colleges. The Nationwide Winner prize is $100,000 in know-how and classroom supplies.
House Settlement Design Competitions
Aerospace Training Competitions (AEC) are occasions that present interactive, high-tempo, and dynamic environments for college students to additional their STEM expertise. They emulate, as intently as attainable for highschool college students, the experiences of working as members of trade design and proposal groups, offering distinctive alternatives to develop their tutorial and enterprise expertise whereas fostering and igniting profession aspirations for the following era of younger professionals. College students be taught and observe administration, team-building, and communication expertise.
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 research camp and worldwide examination contest over the summer season.
Vans Customized Tradition
Chosen excessive colleges will likely be challenged to design footwear round two themes. They’ll additionally submit an Influence Doc reflecting how their faculty, college students, and group could be impacted by profitable $75,000 for his or her artwork program.
Younger Scientist Problem
College students in grades 5–8 create a one-to-two-minute video describing a brand new, revolutionary answer that might resolve an on a regular basis downside. Ten finalists will likely be chosen for his or her ardour for science, spirit of innovation and ingenuity, and efficient communication expertise.
ELA and the Arts Pupil Contests
90-Second Newbery Movie Pageant
The 90-Second Newbery Movie Pageant is an annual video contest through which younger filmmakers create motion pictures that inform your entire story of a Newbery award–profitable e book in about 90 seconds. Profitable entries are screened at occasions nationwide together with in New York, Chicago, and Boston.
AFSA Nationwide Excessive College Essay Contest
If you happen to’re seeking to assist college students take a deep dive into worldwide relations, historical past, and writing, look no additional than this essay contest. Winners obtain full tuition to the Semester at Sea program in addition to a visit to Washington, D.C., to satisfy with a frontrunner on the Division of State.
All American Excessive College Movie Pageant
When college students undergo AAHSFF, they’ve the chance to turn out to be an Official Choice, that means that their movie will display on the AMC Empire 25 Theaters in Instances Sq., the busiest movie show in America, and the prospect to obtain nationwide recognition as a class finalist or winner! Every October, 1000’s 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 Mission
The ArtEffect Mission teaches center and highschool college students about their energy to impact constructive change by inventive storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from historical past. College students submit high-quality inventive artwork tasks within the visible arts, narrative movie, theater, and artistic nonfiction genres. Winners can obtain 1000’s of {dollars} in prizes.
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!
Congressional Artwork Competitors
Every spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide highschool visible artwork competitors to acknowledge and encourage creative expertise within the nation and in every congressional district. College students submit entries to their consultant’s workplace, and panels of district artists choose the profitable entries. Winners are acknowledged each of their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The profitable works are displayed for one yr on the U.S. Capitol.
Doodle for Google
Do you know that every yr, 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 achieve tens of millions of viewers with their design.
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.
NAfME Music Competitions
The Nationwide Affiliation for Music Training (NAfME) holds a number of music competitions annually for composers and songwriters in a number of classes. College students of all ages are eligible to win money prizes.
NASA Langley Pupil Artwork Contest
The competition is open to all Ok–12 college students attending public, personal, parochial, and homeschool who’re residents of the USA, and grades Ok–12 of U.S. navy members stationed abroad.
Nationwide Spelling Bee
Is the nation’s subsequent spelling champion in your individual classroom? Discover out by holding your individual spelling bee, then sending the winner on to compete in regional competitions resulting in the last word nationwide competitors.
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 Moon Women
New Moon Women publishes contributions from ladies ages 8–14. The journal publishes 4 occasions annually, and submissions usually tend to be revealed in the event that they match an upcoming editorial theme.
New York Instances Pupil Writing Contests
Every month, the New York Instances declares a brand new writing contest for center and highschool college students ages 13–19. The matters 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 11–18 can find out about environmental points by art-making and artistic communication, discover their relationship to a altering world, and turn out to be advocates for constructive change. Submit a chunk recognizing local weather change heroes, utilizing visible arts, poetry and artistic writing, movie, performing arts, or multimedia. Prizes embody money awards and eligibility for particular alternatives.
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. (Word: Solely open to eleventh graders.)
Promising Younger Writers Program
Academics and colleges can nominate eighth grade college students to compete on this contest. Nominees submit an editorial based mostly on the yr’s immediate. Winners obtain certificates in varied ranges of distinction.
Ranger Rick Photograph Contest
Children 13 and beneath can enter any nature-themed picture they’ve taken on their very own, utilizing a digital camera or telephone digital camera app. Each month, winners will likely be chosen by the judges and posted on the competition homepage within the Current Contest Winners slideshow. On-line winners will likely be within the operating for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Journal Award. Journal Award winners will likely be chosen thrice annually for publication in Ranger Rick journal’s December–January, April, and August points.
Scholastic Artwork & Writing Awards
The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for inventive teenagers (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and provides children an opportunity to showcase their expertise for among the foremost leaders within the arts.
Scope Writing Contests
Scope journal (revealed by Scholastic) options all kinds of contests to excite college students about writing. Plus they will win superior prizes!
Stossel within the Classroom
Stossel within the Classroom needs to know what 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!
Telling Room Founders Prize
College students ages 6–18 can submit fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to The Telling Room. Annually, the Founders Prize is awarded to the perfect piece of writing to come back out of a Telling Room program.
Toyota Dream Automobile USA Artwork Contest
The Toyota Dream Automobile USA Artwork Contest evokes creativity in youths ages 4–15, and helps them think about the way forward for mobility. Children can win a whole bunch of {dollars} in prize cash.
YouthPLAYS Potential Authors
Authors 19 and beneath can submit a one-act play to the New Voices competitors. They’re significantly enthusiastic about performs that talk to BIPOC teenagers and youth, performs that take care of the considerations and pursuits of the Latinx, Black, and Indigenous communities, and bilingual performs (significantly English/Spanish) written by BIPOC playwrights.
Extra Pupil Contests
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 will 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.
Discovery Award
The Lowell Milken Heart 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 position fashions and encourage others to create change.
Nationwide Educational League
As 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 faculty can discipline a group of 15–40, giving a lot of children an opportunity to take part.
NAQT Quiz Bowl
Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competitors through which groups of 4 gamers compete to reply questions that cowl tutorial topics like literature and science in addition to the broader world of well-liked tradition and present occasions. Native center faculty and highschool tournaments ship their winners on to regional and nationwide championships.
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 age 19 or youthful. Native competitions ship their winners on to compete within the nationwide championships.
Nationwide Historical past Day (NHD)
Nationwide Historical past Day (NHD) is an annual occasion for academics and college students in grades 6–12 that promotes essential considering expertise by project-based studying. College students start their journey by presenting their tasks in school rooms, colleges, and districts around the globe. High entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The highest two entries in each class on the state/affiliate stage are then invited to the Nationwide Contest.
Nationwide PTA Reflections Awards
College students of all ages create and submit unique artistic endeavors 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 embody an $800 prize and a visit to the Nationwide PTA Conference.
College students With Options
This challenge is designed for educators to interact their college students in bullying prevention. College students watch a video adopted by a handout assessment. Then they reply to the content material in their very own inventive means by artwork, writing, graphics, or movies for the prospect to win prizes for his or her faculty.
United States Educational Decathlon
America Educational Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competitors for groups of highschool college students. Every highschool enters a group 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 information and expertise to come back out on high!
World of 8 Billion Video Contest
Center and highschool college students create a brief video—as much as 60 seconds lengthy—about human inhabitants progress that highlights one of many following international challenges: local weather change, gender equality, or waste. Children can win as much as $1,200!