Military Child of the Year Award Deadline: December 01, 2026
Amount: $10,000
Description: The annual awards recognize outstanding young people ages 13 to 18. Recipients will represent a branch of the armed forces — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Space Force — for their scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement, and other criteria while facing the challenges of military family life. All Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year Award recipients will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C., and recognized at the April 2027 gala, during which senior leaders of each branch of service will present the awards. They also will receive $10,000 each, a laptop computer, and other donated gifts. The gala is usually held in April, the month of the military child, as a way to recognize the support and appreciation we provide to military families. Eligibility Requirements: Child must be a legal military dependent. Status confirmed by DEERS enrollment form; Military children must be between the ages of 13 and 18, at the time of nomination; Child and one adult guardian must be available to travel to the Washington, D.C. area April 2027, during the month of the military child, for the Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year Awards Gala award presentation; Officers, directors, employees, and agents of Operation Homefront and its subsidiaries or affiliated organizations, and their immediate family members (parent, child, sibling, and spouse of each) and those living in the same households of each are not eligible to receive programs, services, grants, or donated goods intended for use by Operation Homefront’s clients; Previous Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year Award Recipients, including Innovation Award recipients, are no longer eligible. In addition to the above eligibility requirements, if selected as a Semifinalist, must: Provide 2 letters of recommendation; Provide form DD1172; Be willing to participate in media and donor opportunities.
Junior Rubincam Youth Writing Competition Deadline: December 15, 2026
Amount: $250
Description: Submit a narrative essay of 750 to 1,200 words about a biological or adoptive relative, foster parent, or guardian. Eligibility: Open to middle school students in grades 6-8
Carson Scholars Fund Deadline: December 16, 2026
Amount: $1,000
Description: The Carson Scholars Fund awards $1,000 college scholarships to students in grades 4–11 who excel academically and are dedicated to serving their communities. Scholars are recognized not only for their achievements inside the classroom, but also for their commitment to making a difference in the world around them. Eligibility: Students in grades 4–11 at accredited K–12 schools in the US. Nominees who maintain a minimum 3.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). Young people who demonstrate strong humanitarian qualities through community service.
Angela Award Deadline: December 16, 2026
Amount: $500
Description: This award honors one female student in grades 5–8, who is involved in or has a strong connection to science. The award has been established in honor of Gerry Wheeler, Executive Director Emeritus, and his outstanding dedication to NSTA and lifelong commitment to science education. Eligibility: Any female student in grades 5–8 who is a resident of the United States, US Territories, or Canada, and is enrolled in full time public, private, or home school. NSTA employees, NSTA Board and Council members, award judges, and their immediate families are NOT eligible to apply. Award: $500 cash award. The awardee will be honored at a private ceremony arranged in conjunction with the student's school and faculty.
NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Essay Contest Deadline: December 31, 2026
Amount: 1st $1,000, 2nd $600, 3rd $200, 4th $100
Description: Essays will be judged in two categories: Senior (grades 9-12) and Junior (grades 8 and below), with separate cash prizes awarded to the winners in each category. First place cash prizes are $1,000, $600 for second place, $200 for third place, and $100 for fourth place.
The entry deadline for this contest is December 31. Entries postmarked by December 31 will be accepted. Essay contest winners will be selected and notified in the first half of the following year. All essays become the property of the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund. Any essays submitted shall be deemed to be a "work made for hire" as such term is defined in the Copyright Laws of the United States, and shall be proprietary to and the exclusive property of the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, and the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund shall have the sole right and power to apply for any and all copyrights and other protections in its name. If it should be deemed for any reason that an essay is not a "work made for hire" and/or that the author of the essay is the owner of some or all of any of the rights in the essay, then the essay’s author hereby assigns and transfers exclusively and irrevocably to the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund all rights of every kind and nature in said essay. Eligibility: The contest is open to all students enrolled, or who will be enrolled, in an elementary, junior high, or high school during that academic year, including homeschooled students in an equivalent grade level, who have not previously received a prize in their category. For example, a previous winner in the junior category, who is now eligible for the senior category, may submit an entry. Format and Contents: All essays should be about 1,000 words, neat, and legible (double spaced, typed preferred). Please note that the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund historically receives a large number of entries and the contest is highly competitive. Include your name, age, address, telephone number, school, and grade as well as a statement from a teacher or parent certifying that the essay is your original work. Entry Form: Be sure to complete your entry form and submit it with your essay.