Northern California Area Emmy Student Production Awards
The Northern California Area Emmy Awards (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences chapter) recognizes outstanding student video and broadcast production through its Student Production Awards of Excellence and Merit, including a dedicated 'Crystal Pillar - High School' category. Student entries covering work produced during the eligibility year are judged by television industry professionals, with winners eligible to purchase an engraved Emmy-style Crystal Pillar trophy.
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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.
Student Television Network (STN) Convention & Contests
STN is a national student media organization supporting high school broadcast journalism, film, and media students through an annual convention and a slate of named competitions including Broadcast Excellence, Film Excellence, STN Challenge, and Story of the Year. Students and advisers attend live conventions (2027 in Long Beach) with contests, workshops, and awards recognizing top student broadcasters and filmmakers.
SUMMERFILM: Documentary Film Production for Teens (CAFILM Education)
SUMMERFILM is an immersive documentary filmmaking workshop for teens run by CAFILM Education, the youth education arm of the California Film Institute (which also produces the Mill Valley Film Festival). Students in grades 9-12 spend a week working with professional filmmakers at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael to learn documentary storytelling, production, and editing, culminating in an original short film.
BAVC Media Next Gen
Next Gen is a free semester-long after-school media program at BAVC Media in San Francisco for youth ages 14-17, distinct from BAVC's other youth offerings like Climate Warriors. Students choose a track in DSLR video production/cinematography (Factory) or frame/stop-motion animation, meet twice weekly, and can earn a $300 completion incentive while building a college-application portfolio.
California 4-H Presentation Program (Regional Presentation Events)
A public-speaking development program within California 4-H open to members ages 9-18, in which students give prepared demonstrations/illustrated talks or impromptu speeches on assigned topics (e.g. Democratic Process, Mindfulness, Inspiring Others). Students first qualify at county-level events (Jan-March) before advancing to regional competitions, including a Bay Area regional held in Sonoma.
Financial Advisor's Contest (CCEE)
A California-exclusive competition from the California Council on Economic Education where teams of high schoolers act as financial advisors to a fictional client, mentored over four weeks by a volunteer CFA or finance professional before presenting their recommendations at a virtual competition day.