Expert Overview

The EngineerTeen Writing Contest is a National Academy of Engineering competition, run through its EngineerGirl and EngineerTeen programs, in which students in grades 3–12 respond to an engineering theme. In the 2026 cycle, each entry paired an original work of art with a written statement on how engineers make the world better.

Format

Individual

Judging Format

Jurors, Criteria based scoring (Quality of Writing)

Monetary

Opportunity

Grade Eligibility

Rising Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors

Geographic Eligibility

US, International

Discipline

Creative WritingEngineeringComputer ScienceTechnology

Entries

~1,000

Percent Awarded

<1%

Important Dates

Submission due

February 1, 2027

Passed

Open

Approaching: < 1 mo.

Priority: < 2 weeks

Urgent: < 1 week

Registration Cost

No entry fee

About

Students enter individually in elementary (grades 3–5), middle (6–8), or high school (9–12) divisions. The 2026 theme, “The Art of Engineering,” asked for a work of art and an artist’s statement connecting it to engineers’ contributions; entries were due February 1, 2026. Each division awards first, second, and third place, with first place worth $1,000.

The 2026 task was communication about engineering, not engineering itself: artwork and a statement, not a design or a build. The prize ladder ends at third place in each division, so placing is a bounded credential from a National Academy of Engineering program, best suited to younger students exploring the field.

The EngineerTeen contest is the right competition for a student who wants to show how engineering touches daily life in art and writing, rather than in a technical build or a test.