Get Lit - Words Ignite Classic Slam
One of the largest youth spoken-word poetry competitions in the country, in which middle and high school teams (using the Get Lit curriculum) each memorize and perform a classic poem paired with an original spoken-word response. Teams advance through qualifying rounds to a live finals judged by professional poets and performers.
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California Student Media Festival
The California Student Media Festival is a nonprofit statewide competition open to any California PreK-12 student (public, private, charter, extracurricular, or homeschool) to submit original work in Film/Video, Animation, Photography, Audio (music or podcasting), or Interactive Media, judged in a Secondary (grades 9-12) division. Finalists are celebrated at an annual awards ceremony, with 2026 entries accepted January 19-March 31 and the ceremony held in May.
CATE Creative Writing Student Showcase
The California Association of Teachers of English (CATE) runs an annual statewide creative writing showcase inviting California students, including high schoolers, to submit poetry, short stories, or essays responding to an annual prompt. Local CATE council divisions select top entries, which are published on the CATE website; the 2026 prompt is 'Preserving Narratives, Amplifying Perspectives,' exploring AI and human voice.
GameGala
Billed as the largest game-specific K-12 contest in the U.S., GameGala started in California in 2018 with 80 participants and has grown into a global virtual competition (hosted by the K12 Ventures Foundation) where students build original games solo or in teams of up to three. High schoolers compete in their own age division for placement awards and special recognitions like the Innovation Award and Best Teamwork.
NorCal Stock Market Challenge (Junior Achievement)
A one-day, live stock market simulation event hosted by Junior Achievement of Northern California where high school teams build and manage investment portfolios in real time and compete against other regional teams.
ProStart
A two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management career pathway for high schoolers, offered through participating high schools nationwide (including California) via the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Combines classroom instruction and industry mentorship with the annual National ProStart Invitational competition.
UrbanPlan Americas Student Competition
Developed with UC Berkeley's Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics, UrbanPlan is a project-based real estate development simulation in which teams of high school students act as a fictional developer, balancing budgets, zoning, and community needs to pitch a project for city council approval. Top student teams compete nationally in the UrbanPlan Americas High School Competition.