Background
Every since I had my own classroom I would always find national and international competitions for my students to engage in. By participating in this space beyond our classroom gave learners a real sense of connection to a world beyond in additions developing some life skills. It would be amazing to win such a competition but more important is the experience of participating and in some cases the product students create. Below are a few favorites.
This is an annual competition inviting students to work individually or in teams to create a 1 min. video promoting social change aligned to the UN Sustainable Goals. Due Date: Feb 7, 2025
Khan Academy offers a very generous award to kids who can create a 3 minute video explaining a complex idea or challenge. What is great is that there is a peer- judging component. Here is a fun one to watch to get inspiration.
This is less about a competition and more about being part of a community dedicated to conducting projects aligned to the UN Sustainable Goals. This project runs the academic year and requires the students work in teams. Throughout the year are opportunities to engage with other groups around the world and showcase your efforts. There is great resource materials available for teams and teachers. Here is an example of past projects.
The U.S. National Science Foundation Game Maker Awards is an exciting opportunity for students in grades K-12 to showcase their creativity, technical skills and passion for game design. Entries are due by Jan 31, 2025 at 5pm EST.
An amazing organization, Scholar Match has compiled a list of scholarships available to students. The list can be downloaded and then sorted according to criteria and interest. Here is the link.
More competitions…
We ARe Teachers compiled another list of competitions to check out. They are organized by grade level. Link Here.
This blog has another list as well to reference aligned to student interests. Link here.
A Sense of Purpose
When students participate in competitions that go beyond their school it gives them a sense of purpose and belief that their learning matters. Please share which competitions you showcase and build in to your teaching practice. I would love to see the student product.
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