Up to $2,000 Young Scientists Award

Bennington College, a liberal arts college in Vermont, runs the Young Scientists Awards for high school students anywhere in the world. You submit one original visual piece about the natural world, such as a scientific illustration, a field guide, a research poster or a process diagram, and a panel of Bennington faculty and students judges it. Entry is free and top entries win cash prizes, publication and scholarships if you later enrol at Bennington.

What you get:

• Cash prizes per category: $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second, $500 for third
• $250 for a Distinguished designation, awarded by category and grade level
• Possible publication on Bennington's website, social media and publications, and you keep ownership of your work
• Only if you enrol at Bennington: a full-tuition scholarship for four years for first place winners, a half-tuition scholarship for four years for Distinguished recipients, and $25,000 a year for four years for finalists

What you'll do:

• Create one visual piece in the Natural Sciences category, such as a local field guide, a scientific drawing or painting of a plant, bird or insect, a poster on a concept or your own research, or an illustrated process diagram
• Optionally add a written explanation of up to 500 words giving context for the work
• Submit up to five images or PDFs of the work, reviewed and approved first by a sponsoring teacher or mentor
• Optional prompt: what is something many people in your neighbourhood never notice about the natural world around them?

Key dates:

• Submissions opened September 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET
• Submissions close November 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
• Round 1 judging by a faculty and student panel, November to December
• Round 2 judging by an external panel and winners selected, January
• Winners announced in spring

More information:

• Grade 12 students enter through the Common Application or Coalition Application to Bennington, which Bennington says has no application fee, is non-binding and needs no supplemental essays; entry instructions follow by email
• Grades 9 to 11 start with a student information form, then submit through the Young Creators Awards portal
• Questions: youngcreatorsawards@bennington.edu

• Currently enrolled in grades 9 to 12 (or the international equivalent), anywhere in the world
• Students who have already graduated, gap year students and transfer students are not eligible
• Work must be original; no AI may be used in any part of the submission, and AI-assisted entries are disqualified from this award
• Entries must be reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor; homeschooled students need a non-parent mentor
• One submission per student in this award; you can enter other Young Creators Awards but win in only one
• Submissions in English
• Free to enter