Explore student competitions.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, Design an original parade-float concept for a fictional theme-park or city-parade setting. US legal residents in high-school grades 11 or 12 submit individually through the organiser’s online route. The main challenge is making an imaginative story work as a practical, visually coherent design, rather than producing an attractive picture alone.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, This long-running creative programme accepts original art and writing across many categories, beginning with regional review and continuing to national consideration. Students in grades 7–12 who are at least 13 enter online through their assigned region in the United States or eligible Canadian locations. Strong entries combine accomplished craft with originality and a distinctive personal voice, often after substantial development and revision.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, C-SPAN StudentCam challenges students to make an original five to six minute documentary exploring a civic issue through research, contrasting viewpoints and relevant C-SPAN footage. Open to grades 6–12, including eligible international students, individually or in teams of up to three. The main challenge is turning verified evidence into a concise, balanced film with clear citations.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, National PTA Reflections is a themed arts programme covering literature, visual art, music, film, photography, dance and an Accessible Arts pathway. Students enter through a participating local PTA or PTSA and follow local and state rules for their grade division and chosen category. The central challenge is turning a personal interpretation of the theme into a coherent original work and artist statement within category rules.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, A student film festival accepting original films across narrative, documentary, animation and other categories for selection and public screening in New York. International directors must have been in high school or younger during production, with the stated graduate exceptions. The main challenge is completing a coherent film that combines purposeful storytelling, sound and editing while meeting category and technical requirements.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, MTNA’s national music programme spans solo performance, original composition, piano duets, chamber ensembles and two-piano duos. Age-based streams serve children through young adults, with U.S. residence and category-specific requirements. The central challenge is preparing compliant repertoire or a polished score for successive adjudication; fees, entry windows and routes differ by stream.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, A national musical-theatre awards programme combining coaching, ensemble rehearsal and live performance adjudication. High school performers in grades 9–12 must be nominated through an approved regional programme after a qualifying school-musical role. The main challenge is sustaining expressive singing, acting and movement under selective live assessment; there is no direct national individual entry.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, Doodle for Google asks K–12 students to reinterpret the Google letters as an original artwork responding to a national annual theme. Eligible U.S. students submit one Doodle through an approved adult or organisation, with the required entry form and consent. The main challenge is making a visually distinctive idea communicate the theme clearly while still preserving the recognisable letter sequence.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, A US music composition challenge selecting original chamber and orchestral scores for professional performance and recording. US residents ages 13–18 submit one work of up to five minutes, with digital audio, a score PDF and printed copies. The central challenge is turning a musical idea into clear, playable notation and convincing instrumental writing.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Expert, A national portfolio and audition competition for young visual, literary and performing artists, spanning ten disciplines and reviewed by specialist artist panels. Open to eligible U.S.-connected artists in grades 10–12 or ages 15–18, applying individually through the online portal under discipline-specific requirements. A strong entry requires sustained original work, confident technical execution, careful curation and a distinct artistic point of view rather than a single polished piece.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Intermediate, An original waterfowl artwork contest connecting wildlife study with visual design. Eligible United States K–12 students enter through their state coordinator, with citizenship or residency conditions. The main challenge is combining identifiable bird anatomy, composition and a design that remains clear at stamp size.

QUICK SUMMARY

Rated Advanced, An original visual-art competition selecting district work for a year-long Capitol exhibition. High-school students enter through their home congressional district; local eligibility and submission arrangements apply. The main challenge is developing a distinctive individual work and meeting originality, display and framing requirements.