Top 11 Environmental Science Competitions for High School Students in 2025–2026

If you’re interested in studying environmental science in college and aiming for highly selective schools like those in the Ivy League, you need to build an academic profile that highlights strong research and problem-solving skills. Participating in environmental science competitions for high school students is one of the most effective ways to do this.

In this guide, you will find the top environmental science competitions for high school students in 2025–2026. Each section explains who can join, how the competition works, and what outcomes you can expect.

• What Are the Best Environmental Science Competitions for High School Students?
• NCF-Envirothon
• GENIUS Olympiad
• National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB)
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize
• The Fairchild Challenge
• 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP)
• Brower Youth Awards
• Regeneron ISEF
• Conrad Challenge
• Davidson Fellows Scholarship
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Are the Best Environmental Science Competitions for High School Students?

Participation in environmental science competitions gives you structured ways to test your research skills and show how you perform under formal evaluation. These competitions also generate results that can strengthen your college applications.

Below is a table of the best environmental science competitions for high school students, including each competition’s name, location, and projected dates for 2025–2026.

Let’s discuss each competition one by one.

1. NCF-Envirothon

• Dates: July 19–25, 2026
• Location: Starkville, Mississippi
• Cost: $2,500 per team (covers housing, linens, meals, and activities)

NCF-Envirothon is an environmental and natural resources problem-solving competition for high school students in grades 9–12. To be eligible to join, you must be 14–19 years old at the start of the competition year. More than 25,000 students from the United States, Canada, China, and Singapore prepare for Envirothon each year through months of study and field practice.

The competition focuses on aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and the current environmental issues. For 2026, the environmental issue is non-point source pollution.

Each topic has its own station. You complete a training day with local natural resource professionals, then a full testing day. Tests in all five subject areas use scientific methods and require you to work with common field instruments, take measurements, and interpret ecological data.

Teams of five advance through regional and state contests to reach the international event. At nationals, the final score combines performance on the five station tests and an oral presentation, where you present and defend a proposed solution to the annual issue.

States run their contests earlier in the year, while the 2026 international competition will be held in Mississippi.

If you want to understand how the competition trains students to apply field science across five resource areas, take a look at our detailed breakdown of NCF-Envirothon.

2. GENIUS Olympiad

• Dates: June 8–12, 2026
• Location: Rochester, New York (Rochester Institute of Technology)
• Cost: $60 application fee; $600 participation fee

GENIUS Olympiad is an international competition centered on environmental issues. Projects must address an environmental theme and can be entered in any of the following categories: science, engineering, robotics, business, art, film, music, or writing.

The application deadline is March 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST, with a separate April 16 deadline for US/EU-affiliated fair projects. Finalists are announced on March 25, and registration for finalists closes on May 10.

You may work solo or with up to two students on a science project. Science entries must include a research description paper with data, graphics, photos, or design drawings. You present a model or prototype if relevant, though models are encouraged rather than required.

Finalists present their work on campus at RIT. Judges evaluate environmental relevance, technical accuracy, clarity of methods, and creativity. The event also includes workshops and cultural activities.

3. National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB)

• Dates: March 21–22, 2026
• Location: Regional sites nationwide; national finals held online
• Cost: Free

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a nationwide academic competition in ocean science. Each year, up to 2,000 students, representing about 350 high schools, compete with support from more than 1,500 volunteers.

You compete in a team of at least four students and one coach. Teams may form through a high school or a sanctioned student support organization. Participants must be enrolled in grades 9–12 and be under age 20, unless granted a waiver.

To qualify for nationals, you must win a regional bowl. Regionals take place at universities and marine labs across the country.

Matches include toss-up questions, bonus questions, and team challenge questions that require multi-step reasoning and data interpretation. The competition also includes a separate policy-focused task called the Science Expert Briefing, where you prepare a written analysis and deliver an oral statement on a marine policy issue.

If you want a clear look at how the competition structures its regional bowls and national finals, read our detailed breakdown of NOSB.

4. Stockholm Junior Water Prize

• Dates: August 24–28, 2025 (2026 dates not yet announced)
• Location: Stockholm, Sweden
• Cost: Free

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is an international research competition for students ages 15–20 who complete original water-related projects. It attracts tens of thousands of participants from about 40 countries. You submit your work through your country’s SJWP program, and national winners advance to the global final during World Water Week each August. You may work individually or with one partner.

Finalists are selected from national competitions worldwide. Their projects are reviewed by a distinguished jury of international water experts. In Stockholm, you take part in jury interviews, technical sessions, and public presentations. The global winner receives the award from H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the Prize’s patron.

The 2025 international final was scheduled for August 24–28. The 2026 dates will follow the same late-August format once announced.

5. The Fairchild Challenge

• Dates: October 2025 – May 2026 (specific dates vary by challenge category)
• Location: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida (with partner sites nationwide)
• Cost: Free for participating schools

The Fairchild Challenge is a year-long environmental education competition for public, private, and charter high schools. You complete a sequence of themed challenges in conservation, plant science, communication, and sustainability. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden provides the prompts, rubrics, and submission process.

Tasks may involve native plant research, habitat design, environmental writing, visual media, or policy analysis. Judges evaluate accuracy, communication, and scientific or artistic quality. Schools earn points throughout the year.

The program reaches a large audience. In the 2024–2025 cycle, 75,100 students and 312 schools participated. Schools also planted 1,500 native endangered plants through challenge activities. Fairchild awards more than $75,000 annually in prizes, equipment, and garden grants.

Registration is free. Challenges run from fall through spring, and top-performing schools are recognized at the end-of-year celebration.

6. 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP)

• Dates: July 26–29, 2026
• Location: North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Cost: Varies by state

The 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program is a national competition that trains students to judge habitat quality and recommend management practices. You compete in teams through your state’s 4-H or FFA program. State contests determine which senior team advances to the nationals. The senior division is for high school students, ages 14–19.

WHEP focuses on four core tasks: wildlife identification, ecological concepts, habitat evaluation, and written management recommendations. You study the WHEP National Manual, which outlines species profiles, habitat requirements, and regional scenarios.

The national competition includes a written wildlife ID test, an ecological evaluation of habitat sites, and a team-written management plan based on a defined scenario. You must provide specific recommendations grounded in the manual’s criteria.

Each year, the national contest rotates locations. The 2026 national event will be held July 26–29 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Travel support varies by state.

7. Brower Youth Awards

• Dates: October 9, 2025 (2026 dates not yet announced)
• Location: Berkeley, California
• Cost: Free to apply; winners receive travel support for the ceremony

The Brower Youth Awards recognize six young environmental leaders each year across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. You can apply if you are 13 to 22 years old and have led a completed project with measurable environmental impact. Projects may focus on conservation, climate action, pollution reduction, ecosystem restoration, or community organizing.

Your application includes essays describing the project’s goals, actions, and outcomes. Judges evaluate leadership, innovation, and the scale of impact. Semifinalists complete an interview before the final selection.

Winners receive a $3,000 cash award, a professionally produced short documentary about their work, and a multi-day leadership retreat in Berkeley. Awardees also join a growing alumni network that provides mentorship and long-term support.

Applications open in winter. In the most recent cycle, the deadline was May 20, with winners honored at the October ceremony. Travel, lodging, and program costs for recipients are covered by the organizers.

8. Regeneron ISEF

• Dates: May 9–15, 2026
• Location: Phoenix, Arizona
• Cost: No direct fee for finalists; affiliated fairs may charge entry fees

Regeneron ISEF is the world’s largest pre-college research competition. You can enter only by qualifying through an affiliated regional, state, or national fair. Each year, about 1,800 finalists advance from more than 400 affiliated fairs. Finalists compete for over $9 million in awards and scholarships.

Environmental science projects fall under categories such as Environmental Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Energy, and Translational Medicine. You may work alone or with one partner.

At ISEF, you present your work during multiple judging sessions. You also display your project in a public exhibition attended by thousands of visitors, researchers, and industry partners. The week-long fair includes symposia, lab tours, workshops, and cultural events. Finalists also participate in the pin exchange and student mixer, which are long-standing ISEF traditions.

The 2026 fair will be held in Phoenix following the standard in-person format used each year.

If you want a clear sense of how the competition selects finalists and scores original research projects, read our full breakdown of Regeneron ISEF.

9. Conrad Challenge

• Dates: Innovation Summit on April 22–25, 2026
• Location: Space Center Houston, Houston, Texas
• Cost: $499 per team (Innovation Stage Registration); $499 per guest (Innovation Summit Registration); financial aid available for qualifying teams

The Conrad Challenge is a global innovation competition for students ages 13–18. In the 2024–2025 cycle, it drew students from 71 countries, with 4,480 competitors producing 1,371 innovations.

You compete in teams of two to five and develop solutions to defined global problems. Environmental topics fall under categories such as Energy and Environment and Aerospace and Aviation.

The competition runs in three stages. In Stage 1 (Activation Stage), you submit a concept outline. In Stage 2 (Innovation Stage), you prepare a business plan and technical description with data and evidence. Top teams advance to the Innovation Summit, where you pitch your solution to expert judges at Space Center Houston.

Finalists are also eligible for several awards at the Summit. These include the Pete Conrad Scholar (top venture in each category), Power Pitch (most effective pitch), and Glinsky Expo Exhibit Awards for Best Tabletop and Most Persuasive. Additional prizes for top-performing teams include an all-expenses-paid trip sponsored by Equinor and United Airlines, free patent support, and academic scholarships.

If you want to see how successful teams build evidence-driven solutions and compete for major awards, read our detailed analysis of the Conrad Challenge.

10. Davidson Fellows Scholarship

• Dates: February 11, 2026 (submission deadline)
• Location: Nationwide; awards ceremony held in Washington, DC
• Cost: Free to apply

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 to students 18 or younger who have completed a significant piece of original work. There is no minimum age, and teams of two may apply if both members meet eligibility rules.

Your project must demonstrate work at or near the college graduate level, with depth of knowledge in a defined area. Environmental science projects qualify under the Science or Engineering categories.

Applications require a research paper, abstract, video summary, transcripts, and recommendations. Finalists must attend the September recognition events in Washington, DC with a parent or guardian. Travel and lodging are fully covered by the Institute.

If you want to see how the competition evaluates advanced student research and what a winning submission looks like, read our comprehensive breakdown of the Davidson Fellows Scholarship.

11. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

• Dates: February 22, 2025 (2026 date to be decided)
• Location: Regional sites nationwide; National Symposium rotates (most recent venue: Albuquerque, New Mexico)
• Cost: Free to enter

JSHS is a Department of Defense–sponsored research competition for high school students. Students submit original, independent research to compete for over $400,000 in scholarships and cash awards at the regional and national level.

You begin by submitting a research paper to your regional symposium, where judges select students for oral and poster presentations. Regional awards give $2,000 to first place, $1,500 to second place, and $1,000 to third place. Top regional oral presenters advance to Nationals, and most regions fund travel for qualifiers.

At the National Symposium, you deliver a 12-minute oral presentation evaluated by university researchers and DoD scientists. National oral awards include $12,000 for first place, $8,000 for second place, and $4,000 for third place. National poster presenters receive cash awards of $550, $450, and $350 for first, second, and third place, respectively.

If you want to see how the competition structures its scoring, awards, and research expectations, review our complete JSHS overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the best environmental science competitions for high school students in 2025–2026?

The top environmental science competitions for high school students include NCF-Envirothon, GENIUS Olympiad, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, the Fairchild Challenge, 4-H WHEP, the Brower Youth Awards, Regeneron ISEF, the Conrad Challenge, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship, and JSHS.

2. Are there free environmental science competitions for high school students?

Yes. Several environmental science competitions are free, including JSHS, the Brower Youth Awards, and the Fairchild Challenge. Others may charge registration or project fees depending on the event.

3. What skills do environmental science competitions help high school students develop?

These competitions build skills in research design, data analysis, ecological assessment, fieldwork, scientific writing, oral communication, and problem-solving tied to real environmental issues. Many also strengthen teamwork and project leadership.

4. How do environmental science competitions help high school students with college admissions?

Strong performance in environmental science competitions can improve applications by providing judged results, research credentials, national rankings, scholarships, and evidence of sustained interest in science, sustainability, and innovation.

5. When should I apply for environmental science competitions for high school students?

Most environmental science competitions open registration from fall to early winter. Some require state or regional qualification rounds, while others require research submissions with fixed deadlines. Students should confirm dates early, especially for multi-stage competitions.

Takeaways

• Environmental science competitions for high school students give you structured ways to apply research, field skills, data analysis, and problem-solving to real environmental issues.
• Prestigious options such as NCF-Envirothon, GENIUS Olympiad, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, and JSHS offer nationally and internationally recognized scoring, awards, and research evaluation.
• Many competitions provide measurable outcomes like scholarships, rankings, category awards, and judged results that strengthen your academic record and help colleges assess your scientific depth.
• Completing multiple environmental science competitions shows sustained interest, technical skill, and a clear commitment to environmental research and innovation.
• If you want help building a stronger academic profile through environmental science competitions for high school students, a college admissions consultant can help you plan your competition strategy, highlight results, and present your achievements more effectively.