Opportunities
Competitions, grants, fellowships, free programs, and challenges for educators and learners.
Michigan Reconnect reopens for 21- to 24-year-olds
The live application creates a timely fall enrollment window for eligible Michigan residents seeking community-college or Tribal college credentials.
UNU Macau opens global AI and education competition, deadline Sept. 15
The 2026 contest is aimed at teams with credible education-AI projects, not just ideas, and ends with staged judging plus a Macau final on Nov. 26. Finalists get hotel accommodation and limited travel support, but applicants should verify eligibility details in the live form.
Knowles opens 2027 fellowship for new high school math and science teachers
The national program plans to select up to 40 teachers entering years one through three and offers four years of mentoring, stipends, grants, and peer support. The final deadline is Jan. 19, 2027.
All Opportunities stories
New York Times posts 2026-27 student contest calendar for classroom planning
The year-ahead lineup starts with a 100-word narrative contest in September, then moves through visual, video, open-letter and podcast challenges teachers can build into coursework.
NASA’s Mars to Table challenge closes July 31 for higher-ed teams
The final registration window is open for NASA’s food-system design challenge, which asks teams to create a Mars crew meal plan and a broader Earth-independent habitat food system. Global teams can enter; partner materials say NASA prize money is limited to eligible U.S. teams.
NASA opens teacher pre-registration for next TechRise challenge
Teachers can sign up now to plan for the 2026-27 TechRise challenge, which is expected to open in September and send 60 winning school experiments on a high-altitude balloon.
VFW opens 2026-27 student contests with essays, audio essays, and cash awards
The new Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen cycle gives grades 6-12 teachers a ready-made fall writing project, but entries go through local VFW Posts and must follow anonymity and AI-use rules.
2026 Congressional App Challenge Opens in Participating Districts
Middle and high school students can submit original apps for free by Oct. 26, either solo or in teams. For schools, the first step is confirming that their congressional district is actually hosting a challenge.
FIRST changes 2026-27 robotics registration, pricing and school checkout
Schools planning a FIRST team this fall now have summer prep work: updated fees, a refreshed dashboard, a July storefront rollout and new purchasing steps for purchase orders and tax-exempt checkout.