Bennington Young Scientists Awards
Part of the Bennington College Young Creators Awards
The Bennington College Young Scientists Awards celebrate exceptional high school students in grades 9-12 who are thinking critically and creatively about STEM and whose work demonstrates originality, curiosity, and scientific inquiry.
Open to students worldwide, these awards are free to enter and offer cash prizes up to $2,000, recognition, publication, or showcase opportunities, and scholarships for students who enroll at Bennington College.
Submissions open September 1. In the meantime, sign up to receive updates.
About the Award
The Bennington Young Scientists Awards recognize the next generation of scientists whose work challenges conventions, explores new ideas, and reflects a distinct point of view.
Whether you are curious about pollinator diversity in local gardens or the effects of drought stress on plant growth, we want to see work that demonstrates creativity, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to take risks and examine the natural world.
Why Bennington College?
At Bennington College, science begins with close observation and grows through questioning, testing, revising, making, and connecting ideas across disciplines and fields. Students work closely with faculty and shape their own paths through biology, ecology, environmental studies, chemistry, and more.
Bennington students do not study the natural world from a distance. They learn to notice patterns, ask sharper questions, conduct meaningful research, and communicate what they discover in ways that others can see, understand, and use.
The Bennington Young Scientists Awards invite high school students into that same spirit.
Submission Category and What to Submit
Optional prompt: While your submission can focus on any aspect of the natural world, consider/incorporate this optional prompt:
- What is something many people in your neighborhood never notice about the natural world around them?
Category: Natural Sciences
Submit a visual illustration that reflects your specific and/or unique understanding of a particular aspect of the natural world. This could be an expression of a particular scientific concept, the rendering of one or more elements in nature, or a poster reflecting independent research. The goal is to present a personally crafted artifact that demonstrates your knowledge and appreciation of natural science.
AI may not be used in any portion of your submission.
Examples of potential submissions include, but are not limited to:
- A field guide to introduce one or more of the natural aspects of your local community, such as animals, insects, flowers, trees, geology, topography, hydrology, etc.
- A scientific illustration, drawing, painting, or other rendering of a natural subject (plant, bird, insect, etc.). You may use anatomical labels, brief descriptions, or other textual elements that enhance your submission.
- A poster outlining a key concept, natural phenomenon, or research proposal. The poster can include original research, a structural plan, or a community proposal, so long as the goal is to increase local understanding, appreciation, and/or preservation of the natural world.
- A process diagram or illustrated figure explaining some feature of the natural world, preferably one rooted in your direct experience.
Your submission may be accompanied by a written explanation of up to 500 words. The purpose of this optional text is to provide context and clarity for the work you created. You should use this space to help explain your submission, rather than the scientific principles involved (except insofar as they influenced your work).
Requirements and Submissions
Eligibility and Requirements
- There is no entry fee.
- Only one submission in this discipline award is allowed per student.
- Open to students in grades 9–12 worldwide.
- All entries must be original work and will be reviewed for authenticity.
- No AI should be used in any portion of your submission.
- Entries must be reviewed and approved by a sponsoring teacher or mentor.
- Grade 12 students must submit through the Common Application or Coalition Application process (no application fees required, non-binding, no supplemental essays required). Once the application is complete, we will send a follow-up email with YCA submission instructions. Since so many YCA participants also apply to Bennington, this approach allows students to submit their college and YCA applications through a single process.
- Students who have already graduated from high school are not eligible.
Please review our FAQs for additional information.
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions must come in the form of one or more PDFs or digital photographs (JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc.) of the work you created. Any physical copies of your original artwork cannot be considered or returned.
- You may submit up to five images of your work; however, a single high-resolution image is often more effective than multiple lower-quality images.
All entries must be reviewed and approved by a high school sponsor teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your work.
How Entries are Evaluated
A panel of Bennington faculty and advanced students will review every submission for originality, quality of work, and demonstrated engagement with complexity. The pool will be narrowed to finalists.
Judging Criteria:
- Originality and quality of the final work.
- Evidence of a distinct personal point of view.
- Engagement with complexity: Does the work wrestle with something difficult, or does it settle for easy craft?
- Poster Rubric
Awards, Scholarships, and Recognition
Cash Prizes (per category)
- First place: $2,000
- Second place: $1,000
- Third place: $500
Distinguished Submissions
- Distinguished designation by category and grade level: $250
- Particularly strong submissions of original work may be selected for this designation. While these submissions may not have been selected for the top three composition prizes, students whose quality is distinguished amongst other entries will be recognized.
Scholarships
- First Place Winners who enroll at Bennington receive a full-tuition scholarship for four years
- Distinguished Designation Recipients who enroll receive a half-tuition scholarship for four years
- Finalists who enroll receive a $25,000 annual scholarship for four years.
Publication and Showcase
- Winning and distinguished entries may be featured on Bennington's website, social media channels, publications, and other showcase opportunities throughout the year.
- These entries will remain the property of the student.
Important Dates and Deadlines
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September 1 | Submissions open |
| November 1 | Submission deadline |
| November - December | Round 1 judging (faculty / student panel) |
| January | Round 2 judging (external panel); winners selected |
| Spring | Award winners announced; press release; winning entries published and/or showcased |
Questions
If you have questions about eligibility, submissions, or awards, we’re happy to help.
