Top 8 Tech Competitions for Middle School Students
Participating in tech competitions is a great way for middle school students to build skills, gain confidence, and prepare for future academic challenges. These contests often cover fundamental tech principles like basic coding, robotics, and simple electronics.
By engaging in these competitions, students can enhance their problem-solving abilities and creativity while connecting with peers who share their interests. Plus, the experience and knowledge gained can give them a head start when aiming for top universities later on. If you're ambitious about your academic journey, exploring tech competitions now can set a solid foundation for your future success!
In this blog, we have compiled a list of the top 8 tech competitions for middle school students.
1. Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior
Imagine Cup is a competition hosted by Microsoft that invites students aged 13 to 18 to leverage technology in tackling global challenges. In this contest, you and your team will develop a project centered on Microsoft AI for Good Initiatives, aiming to address significant issues through innovative solutions.
In addition to the competition, Imagine Cup Junior offers educational modules on AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity. Participants engage with six comprehensive learning sets to deepen their understanding of these concepts.
Previous winners of Imagine Cup Junior have created impactful projects, such as AI-driven applications for enhancing accessibility in chemistry labs using motion and AR and a fact-checking browser to combat misinformation. This competition provides middle school students with a platform to explore advanced technologies and make a real-world impact through creativity and innovation.
If you are interested in taking part in the competition, check out this blog on how to win the Microsoft Image Cup!
Location: Virtual
Cost: $125 team registration fee
Eligibility:
Students aged 13 - 18
Prize: Various merchandise items and a trophy, which, all together, will be at most the value of $300 per Team Member in a group of no more than six team members.
Registration Deadline: January to May 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Competition Dates: January to May 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
2. Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge, organized district-wide by members of the U.S. House of Representatives, is perfect for students eager to elevate their coding skills and apply technical knowledge to meaningful projects. Participants are challenged to design and develop their own unique mobile or web app, delving into the complexities of computer science and problem-solving. This competition encourages students to tackle real-world issues using technology.
Winners not only receive recognition for their coding abilities but also get the chance to showcase their apps to Congress members and the wider tech community. Awards often include scholarships, mentorship opportunities, and invitations to tech-related events. Winning this challenge validates your capacity to use technology for positive impact and enhances your profile in technology and innovation circles.
We’ve done a deep dive into this competition, so if you are interested in participating, you can check it out here!
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Eligibility:
Must be a middle or high school student in a participating congressional district and must also be a residents of such district.
Teams may have up to 4 members.
Prize: Winning apps are eligible to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building and featured on the House of Representatives website. Winners are also invited to attend a reception on Capitol Hill and may be awarded additional sponsor prizes.
Registration Deadline: Open now for 2024. Register here.
Competition Dates: October 24th, 2024
3. American Computing Science League Competition
If you're a middle school student interested in artificial intelligence and computing, the American Computer Science League (ACSL) competition is an excellent opportunity for you. ACSL hosts computer programming and computer science contests tailored for K-12 schools, organizations, and local groups. With over 8,000 students participating last year from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, ACSL offers multiple divisions to cater to varying skills and experience levels.
In its 46th year, the competition spans four contests throughout the school year, each focusing on fundamental computer science concepts such as number systems, boolean algebra, and digital electronics. Students in higher divisions also tackle programming challenges using Python, C++, or Java. Contests are conducted online, with team advisors facilitating access and score reporting to ACSL.
At the end of the season, top students are invited to compete in an online finals competition, providing an opportunity for recognition and advancement based on their dedication and skills.
You can also check out this ultimate guide to ACSL!
Location: Virtual
Cost: $150 team registration
Eligibility:
High school students
Prize: Certificates
Registration Deadline: November 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Competition Dates: December - May 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s dates).
FIRST Robotics is a renowned team-based programming competition where teams face strict rules, limited resources, and tight deadlines to build an industrial-sized robot. The goal is to create a machine that excels in a complex field game, requiring detailed strategic planning. Preparation involves researching past challenges to develop effective strategies.
Teams also need to engage in fundraising to support their efforts, highlighting both their technical and non-technical skills. Key competencies for participants include proficiency in prototyping, CAD (Computer-Aided Design), and programming languages like Java, C++, or LabVIEW. This competition could be great for you if you are looking to showcase your engineering and teamwork abilities!
We’ve covered this competition in detail, which you can check out here!
Location: Broad variety of locations. You can find them here
Cost: Team registrations are usually $6000
Eligibility:
High School Students aged between 14 and 18.
Teams must have at least 10 students with 2 adult mentors.
Note - Teams are usually affiliated with schools or, local educational institutions, or organizations, so it’s best to check whether such an organization already exists in your community. If not, you can independently organize it as well!
Prize: A broad swathe of scholarships and cash prizes for the top scorers
Registration Deadline: November 12, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Competition Dates: Early January through April 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
5. World AI Competition for Youth (WAICY)
Students from around the world can join this AI competition, competing in categories based on their education level: elementary, middle, or high school. Participants can enter individually or in teams and select from three tracks: AI Showcase, AI-Generated Art, or AI Large Language Model. Projects are evaluated on understanding AI use, community impact, and user experience.
If you advance to the final round, you'll present your project and participate in a Q&A session before the winner is announced. Past winners have created impressive projects like an AI app for the visually impaired and an AI-driven face mask detector. This competition is great for anyone passionate about AI ethics and using AI to address significant community issues.
Location: Online and in-person options available (in-person competitions can be co-hosted with local organizers in other countries)
Cost: Free
Eligibility:
Students aged 6 – 18
Prize: Students receive awards, but there is no monetary prize
Registration Deadline: November 25, 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
Competition Dates: December 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
6. HPE CodeWars
HPE CodeWars is a coding competition designed for middle and high school students. In this event, teams of three students have 3 hours to solve 30 progressively challenging problems. Last year's competition featured programming languages like C, C++, Java, and Python 3.
To excel, it’s beneficial to practice not only problem-solving and data structures but also competitive coding techniques such as the two-pointer method, binary search, and other tools for improving algorithm efficiency. For more details and preparation tips, check out the ultimate guide to HPE CodeWars!
Location: TBA, but can also be completed in remotely
Cost: No costs apart from travel expenses to in-person competition.
Eligibility:
Students between the ages of 13 through 18.
Teams of the size of 2 to 3 people and an adult sponsor.
Sponsors can be sponsors to a max of three teams.
Prize: There is a prize pool for raffle winners and an award.
Registration Deadline: Registration opens a month before the competition and closes two weeks before the start date.
Competition Dates: March 2, 2025 (tentatively, based on the previous year’s dates)
7. Technology Student Association’s Middle School Competitions
The Technology Student Association (TSA) offers 37 middle school competitions, including one focused on data science and analytics. In this contest, teams of three members conduct research on an annual topic, gather data, apply analytics to analyze it, and make predictions. They document their work in a portfolio and a display.
During the semi-finals, teams tackle an onsite challenge where they review specific data sets, provide insights, and present their findings for evaluation. Similar to JIC, teams must qualify through regional and state competitions to advance to the finals. For the 2024 and 2025 competitions, each state will select three teams of two to three individuals for the finals. This competition provides a platform for middle school students to delve into data science and showcase their analytical skills in a structured and competitive environment.
Location: Varies based on your location.
Cost: Not specified
Eligibility:
Open to all middle school students.
Prize: Not specified
Registration Deadline: TBA
Competition Dates: Varies based on your location - you can find a list of the regional/state competitions and their dates here!
Kaggle is a platform focused on data science and AI that hosts competitions sponsored by major organizations, often offering monetary prizes. The NFL Big Data Bowl 2023, for instance, challenges participants to use the NFL's extensive dataset, 'Next Gen Stats,' which includes player tracking, play details, and game statistics.
Your task is to develop innovative metrics and statistics for analyzing linemen during passing plays. Submissions are evaluated based on five criteria: innovation, accuracy, relevance, clarity, and data visualization. Participants have the opportunity to win prizes up to $10,000, making this competition an exciting opportunity for middle school students interested in exploring data analysis and AI applications.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Not specified
Eligibility:
Open to everyone who has a Kaggle account.
Note - If you are under 18, you will have to obtain parental permission and be approved by the sponsor to participate.
Prize: Up to $10,000
Registration Deadline: To be announced for 2024 – 2025, Registration is likely to open around October 2024
Competition Dates: January 2025 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates).
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI is founded by Harvard graduate students. Through the programs, you get a chance to work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
Image Source - Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior Logo