Competitions
The Bennington College Young Scientists Awards are inviting high school students from around the world to showcase original and creative work demonstrating scientific curiosity, critical thinking and engagement with the natural world. The awards are designed to recognize exceptional students in grades 9–12 whose work demonstrates originality, curiosity and scientific inquiry. Students can submit original work in the Natural Sciences category for the opportunity to receive cash prizes, recognition, publication and showcase opportunities. The competition is free to enter, and eligible students worldwide can participate.
Requirements: Avoid using AI at any stage of the submission process.
How to apply: Students currently enrolled in Grades 9-11 (or the international equivalent) are invited to submit only one entry per discipline award by the November 1 deadline. Students may win in only one discipline award.Students enrolled in Grade 12 must first complete either the Common Application or Coalition Application (no app fees, non-binding, no supplemental essays required) to gain access to submit their YCA entries by the November 1 deadline.
A quick overview based on the listing. Review the full details below before applying.
Application link provided with this listing — verify the destination and requirements before submitting.
The Bennington College Young Scientists Awards are inviting high school students from around the world to showcase original and creative work demonstrating scientific curiosity, critical thinking and engagement with the natural world.
The awards are designed to recognize exceptional students in grades 9–12 whose work demonstrates originality, curiosity and scientific inquiry. Students can submit original work in the Natural Sciences category for the opportunity to receive cash prizes, recognition, publication and showcase opportunities.
The competition is free to enter, and eligible students worldwide can participate. Cash prizes are available up to $2,000, while students who later enroll at Bennington College may also be eligible for significant scholarship opportunities.
The Young Scientists Awards celebrate the next generation of scientists and encourage students to explore the natural world through observation, questioning, experimentation and creative expression.
Bennington College is looking for work that challenges conventions, explores new ideas and demonstrates a distinct personal point of view.
Students may explore topics ranging from pollinator diversity and local ecosystems to plant growth, environmental phenomena and other aspects of the natural world. The competition emphasizes creativity, thoughtfulness and a willingness to investigate questions rather than simply reproduce established information.
Students in grades 9–12.
Students from anywhere in the world.
Students who have not yet graduated from high school.
Students whose submissions are original work.
Students whose entries are reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor.
There is no entry fee.
Only one submission in this discipline award is permitted per student.
Applicants must pay particular attention to Bennington College’s rules concerning artificial intelligence.
All submissions are reviewed for authenticity and originality. The competition does not permit AI tools to be used to brainstorm, create, draft, revise or collaborate on any part of a submission.
Entries that use AI will be disqualified from the Young Scientists Awards and may instead only be considered for the Young Innovators Awards.
Students should therefore ensure that their submitted work is entirely their own.
The Young Scientists Awards include a Natural Sciences category.
Students are asked to submit a visual illustration reflecting their specific or unique understanding of an aspect of the natural world.
The goal is to create a personally crafted work that demonstrates knowledge and appreciation of natural science.
The competition provides several examples of possible submissions.
Students could create a field guide documenting natural features in their local community, including:
Other possibilities include a scientific illustration, drawing, painting or other visual representation of a natural subject such as a plant, bird or insect.
Students may also create a poster explaining a scientific concept, natural phenomenon or research proposal. Such a poster could incorporate original research, a structural plan or a community proposal designed to improve local understanding, appreciation or preservation of the natural world.
Another option is a process diagram or illustrated figure explaining an aspect of the natural world, preferably one connected to the student’s direct experience.
Students may accompany their submission with an optional written explanation of up to 500 words.
This explanation is intended to provide context and clarity about the work that was created.
Students should use this space primarily to explain their submission rather than simply describing the scientific principles behind it, except where those principles influenced the creation of the work.
Entries must meet Bennington College’s submission requirements.
Submissions should be provided as one or more PDFs or digital photographs of the work.
Students may submit up to five images of their work. However, the competition notes that one high-resolution image may often be more effective than several lower-quality images.
Physical copies of original artwork cannot be considered or returned.
All entries must be reviewed and approved by a high school sponsor teacher.
The sponsoring teacher will serve as a contact for the competition if Bennington College has questions about the student’s submission.
Homeschooled students can contact a mentor to sponsor their work.
Grade 12 students have a different submission process.
The provided information states that these applications have no application fees, are non-binding and do not require supplemental essays.
After completing the relevant application, students will receive a follow-up email containing instructions for submitting their Young Creators Awards entry.
This approach allows students who are also applying to Bennington College to manage their college and awards applications through a single process.
Every submission is reviewed by a panel consisting of Bennington faculty and advanced students.
The competition also evaluates whether a submission demonstrates a distinct personal point of view and whether the work engages meaningfully with a challenging subject rather than relying on an easy or superficial approach.
Judges consider the originality and quality of the final work.
Submissions should demonstrate the student’s own perspective and interpretation.
Students are encouraged to address difficult questions and demonstrate meaningful engagement with the subject rather than settling for an overly simple presentation.
The Young Scientists Awards provide cash prizes in each category.
There is also a Distinguished designation, which comes with a $250 award for particularly strong original submissions that are recognized for their quality but are not selected for one of the top three composition prizes.
The awards can also provide scholarship opportunities for students who later enroll at Bennington College.
First Place Winners who enroll at Bennington receive a full-tuition scholarship for four years.
Distinguished Designation recipients who enroll receive a half-tuition scholarship for four years.
Finalists who enroll receive a $25,000 annual scholarship for four years.
Winning and distinguished entries may also receive additional recognition.
The submitted work remains the property of the student.
Spring: Award winners announced, press release issued, and winning entries published or showcased
The submission period runs from September 1 at 9:00 AM ET through November 1 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligible students should prepare an original Natural Sciences submission that reflects their understanding of a particular aspect of the natural world.
Develop an original project.
Ensure that the work demonstrates personal creativity and scientific inquiry.
Avoid using AI at any stage of the submission process.
Have the work reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor.
Prepare the submission as a PDF or suitable digital image format.
Submit no more than one entry in this discipline award.
Complete the appropriate online submission process before the deadline.
Grade 9–11 students can use the designated Young Creators Awards submission process, while Grade 12 students must follow the Common Application or Coalition Application process before receiving further submission instructions.
The awards provide high school students with an opportunity to publicly demonstrate their scientific creativity and independent thinking.
Beyond the possibility of receiving cash prizes, students can gain recognition for original scientific work and may have their work published or showcased by Bennington College.
The competition can also provide scholarship opportunities for students who subsequently enroll at Bennington College.
The Bennington College Young Scientists Awards provide an international platform for high school students to demonstrate creativity, curiosity and scientific inquiry through original work focused on the natural sciences.
Students in grades 9–12 from around the world can participate without paying an entry fee. Eligible students can submit original visual work such as scientific illustrations, field guides, research posters, process diagrams and other creative representations of the natural world.
The competition offers cash prizes of up to $2,000, additional recognition through the Distinguished designation, publication and showcase opportunities, and scholarship opportunities for students who later enroll at Bennington College.
Students interested in participating should carefully review the submission requirements, secure approval from a sponsoring teacher or mentor and ensure that no AI is used in any part of their submission.
The submission deadline is November 1 at 11:59 PM ET.
Discover more opportunities on the OFY Webpage.
Avoid using AI at any stage of the submission process.
Students in grades 9–12. Students from anywhere in the world. Students who have not yet graduated from high school. Students whose submissions are original work. Students whose entries are reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor.
Students currently enrolled in Grades 9-11 (or the international equivalent) are invited to submit only one entry per discipline award by the November 1 deadline. Students may win in only one discipline award.Students enrolled in Grade 12 must first complete either the Common Application or Coalition Application (no app fees, non-binding, no supplemental essays required) to gain access to submit their YCA entries by the November 1 deadline.
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