Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Students from all regions of the world aged between 13 and 18 can enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Applicants have to submit a video explaining an idea in the field of physics, mathematics, or life sciences. Each student then has to review five other videos before getting to the final stage.
The videos are judged in terms of engagement, illumination, creativity, and difficulty, with each aspect carrying equal weightage. After peer-to-peer review, the top 75 videos will be evaluated and subject to the popular vote to get to the final round. The winner will be picked from the finalists by the selection committee.
Students willing to enter the competition need to submit their videos latest by June and complete peer-to-peer review by July. The videos shouldn’t be longer than one minute and thirty seconds in duration. The teacher of the winning candidate gets $50,000 while the school receives $100,000 for the renovation/creation of a science lab.
Scholarship Summary
Students from all regions of the world aged between 13 and 18 can enter the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Applicants have to submit a video explaining an idea in the field of physics, mathematics, or life sciences. Each student then has to review five other videos before getting to the final stage.
The videos are judged in terms of engagement, illumination, creativity, and difficulty, with each aspect carrying equal weightage. After peer-to-peer review, the top 75 videos will be evaluated and subject to the popular vote to get to the final round. The winner will be picked from the finalists by the selection committee.
Students willing to enter the competition need to submit their videos latest by June and complete peer-to-peer review by July. The videos shouldn’t be longer than one minute and thirty seconds in duration. The teacher of the winning candidate gets $50,000 while the school receives $100,000 for the renovation/creation of a science lab.
Eligibility Requirements
- Eligible Grade: All
- Age: 13 – 18
- Required GPA: Any
- Geographic Eligibility: Any
- Gender: Any
- Race/Ethnicity: Any
Key Information of Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Study Details
Area of Study
Health Care
Country of Study
United States
Specific Schools
Any
Application Requirements
Here’s what you need to submit besides your application.
- Video Submission
Breakthrough Junior Challenge Timeline
April 1, 2024
Application Opening Date
The applications for the contest open in April.
June 25, 2024
Submission Deadline
The contestants have to submit their videos latest by June 25.
July 10, 2024
Peer-to-Peer Review Deadline
5 other submissions have to be reviewed by contestants until July 10.
November 2024
Award Announcement
The winner of the contest will be announced at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, which will be held in November.
How to ace the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Keep the video within the instructed duration
Make sure that your video is within 1:30 (one minute and 30 seconds) in duration on the YouTube timer.
Study previous winners’ videos
Watch the videos created by previous winners to better understand the required standard.
Ask for feedback on your video
Ask for feedback from peers and teachers to make improvements before submission.
Keep the judging criteria in mind
Make sure that your video scores well in terms of creativity, engagement, illumination, and difficulty.
How the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is Judged
The videos are judged based on creativity, engagement, illumination, and difficulty. Through the process, the videos will be judged by other contestants, general viewers, and the selection panel.
Why We Love the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Encourages students to think of new ideas
The contest encourages students to think of new ideas and solutions in different fields of science.
Asks the contestants to be judges
During the peer-to-peer review stage, the contestants have to judge and rate videos submitted by others.
Rewards teachers and schools
The teacher and school of the winning candidate also receive cash prizes.
5 Facts About the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a Giving Pledge project
It was founded by Yuri and Julia Miller as a part of their project called Giving Pledge.
The annual competition was first held in 2015
The first Breakthrough Junior Challenge was held in 2015.
It invites contestants from all over the world
The contest is open to students from all parts of the world.
Rewards the winning student, school, and teacher
Along with the winning contestants, their teachers and schools also receive prizes of $50,000 and $100,000, respectively.
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge has renowned partners
The partners for the program include Khan Academy, National Geographic Channel, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.