Competitions, hackathons, programs and volunteering.

• EL

  Readers' Cup

  Emirates Literature FoundationUAESchool

  Team reading quiz for schools. The first round is online, and the finals run during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in April.

  Schools register their teams

  Closes 10 Nov 2026Visit the Readers' Cup page on the organiser's site
• SJ

  Jugend forscht

  Stiftung Jugend forschtGermanySchool and universityResearch / Academia

  Germany's national youth science competition, from regional rounds to a national final.

  Up to age 21

  Usually closes in NovemberVisit the Jugend forscht page on the organiser's site
• SF

  Regeneron Science Talent Search

  Society for ScienceUnited StatesSchoolResearch / Academia

  The leading US science research competition for high school seniors, with finalists judged in Washington, DC.

  US high school seniors

  Usually closes in NovemberVisit the Regeneron Science Talent Search page on the organiser's site
• LO

  L'Oréal Brandstorm

  L'OréalOnline, worldwideUniversityMarketing

  Yearly innovation challenge where young people's teams answer a beauty-industry brief set by L'Oréal.

  Usually closes in FebruaryVisit the L'Oréal Brandstorm page on the organiser's site
• MF

  Microsoft Imagine Cup

  Microsoft for StartupsOnline, worldwideUniversityTech / Software

  Startup competition from Microsoft with a dedicated category for student-led startups.

  Closes 28 Feb 2027Visit the Microsoft Imagine Cup page on the organiser's site
• AD

  Undergraduate Research and Innovation Competition

  Abu Dhabi UniversityUAEUniversityResearch / Academia

  Undergraduates present research and innovation projects to judges at Abu Dhabi University each spring.

  Usually closes in MarchVisit the Undergraduate Research and Innovation Competition page on the organiser's site
• CU

  STEM Challenge

  Curtin University DubaiUAESchoolEngineering

  High school STEM competition held on Curtin's Dubai campus, with the 2027 round on 24–25 April.

  Closes 10 Apr 2027Visit the STEM Challenge page on the organiser's site
• JL

  John Locke Institute Essay Competition

  John Locke InstituteOnline, worldwideSchoolResearch / Academia

  Essay competition in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology and law.

  Usually closes in JuneVisit the John Locke Institute Essay Competition page on the organiser's site
• ZS

  Zayed Sustainability Prize: Global High Schools

  Zayed Sustainability PrizeUAE, open worldwideSchoolResearch / Academia

  High school teams propose a sustainability project for their community; winning schools receive up to US$150,000 to build it.

  Entered by a school, not by individual students

  Usually closes in JuneVisit the Zayed Sustainability Prize: Global High Schools page on the organiser's site
• BP

  Breakthrough Junior Challenge

  Breakthrough Prize FoundationOnline, worldwideSchoolResearch / Academia

  Make a short video explaining a big idea in science or maths; winners receive a scholarship and a prize for their teacher and school.

  Ages 13–18

  Usually closes in SeptemberVisit the Breakthrough Junior Challenge page on the organiser's site
• WG

  Wharton Global High School Investment Competition

  Wharton Global Youth ProgramOnline, worldwideSchoolFinance

  Teams manage a virtual portfolio for a client case; top teams present their strategy at a global final at Wharton.

  Registered by a teacher or adviser

  Usually closes in SeptemberVisit the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition page on the organiser's site
• Ed

  STEAM Champions UAE

  EduStreamUAESchoolEngineering

  School STEAM competition with three categories each season; the 2026/27 theme is circular futures.

  Usually closes in OctoberVisit the STEAM Champions UAE page on the organiser's site
• Ka

  Kaggle competitions

  KaggleOnline, worldwideSchool and universityData / AI

  Ongoing data science and machine learning competitions, some with cash prizes, and a public profile to show your work.

  Open all yearVisit the Kaggle competitions page on the organiser's site
• MB

  Arab Reading Challenge

  Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global InitiativesUAE, open worldwideSchool

  Students read and summarise Arabic books through the school year, competing from school level up to the final in Dubai.

  Reading is in Arabic

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Arab Reading Challenge page on the organiser's site
• AM

  Australian Mathematics Competition

  Australian Maths TrustAustralia, open worldwideSchoolResearch / Academia

  Maths competition sat by school students in Australia and many other countries.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Australian Mathematics Competition page on the organiser's site
• BI

  British Informatics Olympiad

  BIOUnited KingdomSchoolTech / Software

  Programming olympiad for UK school students; top scorers are considered for the UK team at the International Olympiad in Informatics.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the British Informatics Olympiad page on the organiser's site
• BW

  Bundeswettbewerb Informatik

  BWINFGermanySchoolTech / Software

  National computer science competition for school students, with tasks solved at home over several rounds.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Bundeswettbewerb Informatik page on the organiser's site
• YS

  Canada-Wide Science Fair

  Youth Science CanadaCanadaSchoolResearch / Academia

  Canada's national science fair; students qualify through regional fairs.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Canada-Wide Science Fair page on the organiser's site
• UO

  CEMC maths and computing contests

  University of WaterlooCanada, open worldwideSchoolTech / Software

  Maths and computing contests, including the Canadian Computing Competition, written at schools in Canada and around the world.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the CEMC maths and computing contests page on the organiser's site
• CI

  CFA Institute Research Challenge

  CFA InstituteUAE, open worldwideUniversityFinance

  University teams write an equity research report on a listed company and defend it to industry judges. In the UAE, the local round is run by CFA Society Emirates.

  Teams enter through their university

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the CFA Institute Research Challenge page on the organiser's site
• FI

  Concours Castor informatique

  France-ioiFranceSchoolTech / Software

  Short online computational-thinking contest run in schools across France.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Concours Castor informatique page on the organiser's site
• UH

  Congressional App Challenge

  US House of RepresentativesUnited StatesSchoolTech / Software

  Students build an app and submit it to their member of Congress; winners are showcased in Washington, DC.

  US middle and high school students

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Congressional App Challenge page on the organiser's site
• UO

  Diamond Challenge

  University of DelawareWorldwideSchoolBusiness

  Entrepreneurship competition for high school teams with business and social-innovation tracks.

  Ages 14–18

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Diamond Challenge page on the organiser's site
• SW

  Dutch Mathematical Olympiad

  Stichting Wiskunde OlympiadeNetherlandsSchoolResearch / Academia

  National maths olympiad for secondary school students.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Dutch Mathematical Olympiad page on the organiser's site
• AA

  EmiratesSkills National Competition

  ACTVET Abu DhabiUAESchool and universityEngineering

  Technical and vocational skills competition across more than 30 skills; it selects the UAE's team for WorldSkills.

  Emirati nationals aged 16–22

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the EmiratesSkills National Competition page on the organiser's site
• EE

  Eskom Expo for Young Scientists

  Eskom ExpoSouth AfricaSchoolResearch / Academia

  South Africa's national science fair, from regional expos to the international science fair.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists page on the organiser's site
• UO

  FEBRACE

  University of São PauloBrazilSchoolResearch / Academia

  Brazilian Science and Engineering Fair for school students, held at the University of São Paulo.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the FEBRACE page on the organiser's site
• IM

  GEMASTIK

  Indonesian Ministry of Higher EducationIndonesiaUniversityTech / Software

  National ICT competition for university students, from programming to cybersecurity and UX.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the GEMASTIK page on the organiser's site
• HP

  Hult Prize

  Hult Prize FoundationWorldwideUniversityBusiness

  Student social-enterprise competition. Campus rounds run from September to February, then nationals and a global final. No entry fee.

  Team members must be 18 or older

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Hult Prize page on the organiser's site
• IC

  ICPC

  International Collegiate Programming ContestWorldwideUniversityTech / Software

  Teams of three university students solve algorithm problems against the clock; regional contests qualify teams for the World Finals.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the ICPC page on the organiser's site
• IA

  Indian Computing Olympiad

  IARCSIndiaSchoolTech / Software

  Programming olympiad that selects India's team for the International Olympiad in Informatics.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Indian Computing Olympiad page on the organiser's site
• HB

  Indian Science Olympiads

  HBCSEIndiaSchoolResearch / Academia

  Olympiads in maths, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and junior science that select India's teams for the international olympiads.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Indian Science Olympiads page on the organiser's site
• IU

  INJAZ UAE Company Program

  INJAZ UAEUAESchool and universityBusiness

  Student teams run a real mini-company for the school year; national winners go on to the INJAZ Al-Arab regional final.

  Runs through participating schools and universities

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the INJAZ UAE Company Program page on the organiser's site
• DO

  INSPIRE-MANAK

  Department of Science and Technology, IndiaIndiaSchoolResearch / Academia

  National award for original ideas from school students; selected ideas get funding to build a prototype.

  Classes 6–10

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the INSPIRE-MANAK page on the organiser's site
• JO

  Japanese Olympiad in Informatics

  JOIJapanSchoolTech / Software

  Programming olympiad that selects Japan's team for the International Olympiad in Informatics.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Japanese Olympiad in Informatics page on the organiser's site
• IM

  OBMEP

  IMPABrazilSchoolResearch / Academia

  Brazil's national maths olympiad for schools, with millions of students taking part each year.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the OBMEP page on the organiser's site
• SB

  Olimpíada Brasileira de Informática

  Sociedade Brasileira de ComputaçãoBrazilSchool and universityTech / Software

  Brazil's informatics olympiad, which selects the national team for the International Olympiad in Informatics.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Olimpíada Brasileira de Informática page on the organiser's site
• OI

  Olimpiada Informática Española

  OIESpainSchoolTech / Software

  Spain's informatics olympiad for school students.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Olimpiada Informática Española page on the organiser's site
• AA

  Olimpiadi di Informatica

  AICA and the Italian Ministry of EducationItalySchoolTech / Software

  Italy's national informatics olympiad for secondary school students.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Olimpiadi di Informatica page on the organiser's site
• QF

  QatarDebate

  Qatar FoundationQatar, open worldwideSchool and university

  Debating programmes and championships, including international Arabic debating competitions for schools and universities.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the QatarDebate page on the organiser's site
• SF

  Regeneron ISEF

  Society for ScienceUnited States, open worldwideSchoolResearch / Academia

  International science and engineering fair in the US; students qualify through affiliated fairs around the world.

  Qualify through an affiliated fair

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Regeneron ISEF page on the organiser's site
• SJ

  Schweizer Jugend forscht

  Schweizer Jugend forschtSwitzerlandSchoolResearch / Academia

  Study weeks and a national competition for research projects by young people in Switzerland.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Schweizer Jugend forscht page on the organiser's site
• FN

  SOFTEC

  FAST-NUCES LahorePakistanUniversityTech / Software

  Annual technology festival with programming, software and robotics competitions for students across Pakistan.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the SOFTEC page on the organiser's site
• SA

  South African Mathematics Olympiad

  South African Mathematics FoundationSouth AfricaSchoolResearch / Academia

  National maths olympiad for school students.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the South African Mathematics Olympiad page on the organiser's site
• QF

  Stars of Science

  Qatar FoundationQatarUniversityEngineering

  TV innovation competition where young innovators from the Arab world develop prototypes.

  Innovators from the Arab world

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Stars of Science page on the organiser's site
• SO

  Swiss Science Olympiad

  Swiss OlympiadSwitzerlandSchoolResearch / Academia

  National olympiads in maths, physics, chemistry, biology, informatics and more.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Swiss Science Olympiad page on the organiser's site
• TF

  TEKNOFEST

  T3 Foundation and Turkish Ministry of IndustryTürkiyeSchool and universityEngineering

  Technology festival with dozens of competitions, from drones and rockets to AI.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the TEKNOFEST page on the organiser's site
• TÜ

  TÜBİTAK science competitions

  TÜBİTAKTürkiyeSchoolResearch / Academia

  National science olympiads and research-project competitions for school students.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the TÜBİTAK science competitions page on the organiser's site
• UM

  UKMT maths challenges

  UK Mathematics TrustUnited KingdomSchoolResearch / Academia

  Individual and team maths challenges sat in schools, leading on to the British Mathematical Olympiad.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the UKMT maths challenges page on the organiser's site
• UF

  Unga Forskare

  Unga ForskareSwedenSchoolResearch / Academia

  Young Scientists Sweden: a national science fair and research competitions for young people.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Unga Forskare page on the organiser's site
• US

  USA Computing Olympiad

  USACOUnited States, open worldwideSchoolTech / Software

  Online programming contests in four divisions. Anyone can enter; US students compete for a place on the national olympiad team.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the USA Computing Olympiad page on the organiser's site
• YE

  Young Enterprise Company Programme

  Young EnterpriseUnited KingdomSchoolBusiness

  Students set up and run a real company through the school year, with competitions at local, regional and national level.

  Runs through participating UK schools

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Young Enterprise Company Programme page on the organiser's site
• YS

  Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition

  YSTE (sponsored by Stripe)IrelandSchoolResearch / Academia

  Ireland's national science and technology exhibition for secondary students, held in Dublin each January.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition page on the organiser's site
• YS

  Young Social Innovators

  Young Social InnovatorsIrelandSchoolBusiness

  Teams of young people tackle a social issue in their community over the school year.

  Dates on organiser's siteVisit the Young Social Innovators page on the organiser's site

Know one we should add, especially in your country? Email hello@cvfi.site.