Eligibility

Elementary (K-5) Category (Tracks I and II)

• Groups or classrooms of children in grades K-5 led educators or community groups, such as 4-H clubs, are eligible.
• The group or classroom leader (age 18 years and older) will use the Challenge resources, attend Challenge-sponsored events, and submit the Challenge projects on behalf of the elementary youth.

Required Forms

• Each instructor, educator, or community leader must submit a completed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers form (.PDF) before they can begin participating in any mentor-ship or training activities sponsored by the Challenge.
• The instructor, educator, or community leader must collect a signed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Elementary Youth Participants form (.PDF) for each student involved in brainstorming, demonstrations, or any other capacity for the Challenge BEFORE the instructor, educator, or community leader can begin talking about the Challenge with their students.

Middle School and High School Youth Categories (Tracks I and II)

• Students on Middle School teams must be in grades 6-8.
• Students on High School teams must be in grades 9-12.
• Groups of 1-4 students and one Supervising Adult (age 18 years and older), who will submit the Challenge project, will work together as a team.

Required Forms

• The Supervising Adult for team must submit a completed Parental and Legal Guardian Consent and Media Release for Youth Participants (Grades 6-12) form (.PDF) for each student before the team can begin participating in any mentorship or training activities sponsored by the Challenge.
• The supervising adult must submit a completed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers form (.PDF) before they (or their team of children) can begin participating in any mentorship or training activities sponsored by the Challenge.

Educator Category (Track III)

• Any full-time classroom teacher in a K-12 public, including charter, or private school is eligible. A homeschool educator is eligible if he or she can provide one of the following:
  • A dated copy of a letter of intent to homeschool one or more students to the state or counties in which their students reside;
  • A copy of the current membership ID to a homeschool association; or
  • A dated proof of purchase of curriculum for the current academic school year.

• All eligible educators must be at least 18 years old and teach in one of the 50 states, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools, the Department of State Overseas school, or the U.S. Jurisdictions of the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• Eligible groups will consist of 1-3 educators.

Required Form

• Each educator must submit a completed Adult Consent and Media Release for Educators and Volunteers form (.PDF) before they can begin participating in any mentorship or training activities sponsored by the Challenge.