Student Television Network (STN) Convention & Contests
STN is a national student media organization supporting high school broadcast journalism, film, and media students through an annual convention and a slate of named competitions including Broadcast Excellence, Film Excellence, STN Challenge, and Story of the Year. Students and advisers attend live conventions (2027 in Long Beach) with contests, workshops, and awards recognizing top student broadcasters and filmmakers.
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Youth Radio (YR Media)
Youth Radio is an Oakland, California nonprofit that trains young people ages 14-24 as journalists, podcast producers, and media makers, pairing them with professional editors to produce real published audio and media work. Relaunched in 2026 after a hiatus, the program requires no prior experience and centers youth voice on current events and culture.
Northern California Area Emmy Student Production Awards
The Northern California Area Emmy Awards (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences chapter) recognizes outstanding student video and broadcast production through its Student Production Awards of Excellence and Merit, including a dedicated 'Crystal Pillar - High School' category. Student entries covering work produced during the eligibility year are judged by television industry professionals, with winners eligible to purchase an engraved Emmy-style Crystal Pillar trophy.
SUMMERFILM: Documentary Film Production for Teens (CAFILM Education)
SUMMERFILM is an immersive documentary filmmaking workshop for teens run by CAFILM Education, the youth education arm of the California Film Institute (which also produces the Mill Valley Film Festival). Students in grades 9-12 spend a week working with professional filmmakers at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael to learn documentary storytelling, production, and editing, culminating in an original short film.
California Student Media Festival
The California Student Media Festival is a nonprofit statewide competition open to any California PreK-12 student (public, private, charter, extracurricular, or homeschool) to submit original work in Film/Video, Animation, Photography, Audio (music or podcasting), or Interactive Media, judged in a Secondary (grades 9-12) division. Finalists are celebrated at an annual awards ceremony, with 2026 entries accepted January 19-March 31 and the ceremony held in May.
G4C Student Challenge
An international game design competition from Games for Change inviting students ages 10-25 to build original digital games addressing a UN Sustainable Development Goals theme (recent themes include hunger, road safety, and biodiversity). The program supports entrants with in-school and after-school game-making courses, student game jams, and mentorship from game industry experts before the final submission and awards, which include scholarships and industry opportunities.
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
An international nonprofit organization that trains and supports amateur and student astronomers in observing and reporting variable star brightness data used in real astrophysics research. AAVSO offers free beginner tutorials (including a no-equipment-needed 10-Star Tutorial), webinars, mentorship, and community forums for students starting in observational astrophysics.