COVER MISS The contestant who sells the highest number of ad pages for the 2027 virtual program book will be crowned our 2027 Heart of the USA Cover Miss and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!  

✨ AD SUBMISSION

HOSTESS ANY contestant who sells a minimum of 10 ad pages for the 2027 virtual program book and is NOT CROWNED COVER MISS will be crowned a 2027 Heart of the USA Hostess and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!

NATIONAL COMMUNITY QUEEN The queen who makes the largest impact during her reign will be crowned 2027 Heart of the USA Community Queen and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package (to include a $2000 Scholarship)!

NATIONAL QUEEN OF HEARTS The queen who makes the highest number of nonperishable donations at nationals will be crowned 2027 Heart of the USA Queen of Hearts and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!

NATIONAL AMBASSADOR The queen who raises the MOST monetary donations towards the national scholarship fund will be crowned our 2027 Heart of the USA Ambassador and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!

• These are donations above and beyond the mandatory scholarship donation of $100!

NATIONAL SPOKESMODEL The queen who recruits the most contestants to compete at the national pageant will be crowned our 2027 Heart of the USA Spokesmodel and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!

NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE People's Choice is the ONLY title that is determined by the public! Friends and family will vote for their FAVORITE QUEEN, aka YOU! The contestant with the most votes will be crowned our 2027 Heart of the USA People's Choice and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package! 

✨ VOTE HERE

NATIONAL MISS PHOTOGENIC The contestant who receives the highest photogenic score overall will be crowned 2027 Heart of the USA Miss Photogenic and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!

NATIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER The queen who best represents our program through engaging, creative social media activity, presence, and “commercials” will be crowned 2027 Heart of the USA Social Media Influencer and will receive her National Crown, Rhinestone Trimmed Sash, and National Prize Package!

👉NEW FOR THE 2027 SEASON👈

A CONTESTANT MAY WIN HER DIVISION + PLUS + UP TO 1 SIGNATURE TITLE IF WARRANTED!

FORMALWEAR
ALL AGE DIVISIONS

Contestants ages 0 - 3 years will wear a short pageant dress, ages 4-6 years will wear her choice of a short pageant dress or a floor-length formal gown, ages 7 & up will wear a floor-length formal gown.

Heirloom dresses, high/low dresses, and tea-length dresses are not allowed!

PHOTOGENIC
ALL AGE DIVISIONS

This award will be given in each age division, as well as one overall highest score, who will be crowned 2027 National Heart of the USA Miss Photogenic!

Contestants will submit 1 photo at check-in. Photos MUST be 8x10" in size, with no sleeves and no frames! Photos can be color or black/white, and do not have to be professionally done. Do not submit any photos with you in your crown and sash - these will be scored a zero!

Additional photos may be submitted, $15 each.

HEART WEAR FASHION
ALL AGE DIVISIONS

Contestants will model their best heart wear fashion outfit of choice! This outfit MUST have a heart or hearts somewhere; this can even be an accessory! Get Creative! Have Fun! Props are allowed but MUST be able to be carried on and off the stage by the contestant!

SELF-INTRODUCTION
ALL AGE DIVISIONS
(Contestants will wear the official Heart of the USA t-shirt with black bottoms and shoes/accessories of her choice)

Contestants ages 0-6 years will provide an introduction in writing to be read by the emcee.

Contestants ages 7 & up will present a self-introduction

Introduction is your opportunity to tell the judges what you want them to know about you and your reign with Heart of the USA, your introduction MUST be 1 minute or less! It is not so much about what you say but how you say it and how comfortable you are speaking in public!

INTERVIEW
AGES 7 & UP ONLY

Contestants ages 7 & up will participate in an individual closed interview with the panel of judges. Contestants will wear the official Heart of the USA t-shirt with black bottoms and shoes/accessories of her choice!

This is your opportunity to impress the judges with your opinions, food insecurity knowledge, and ability to communicate!

They are not looking for rehearsed answers!

Questions will come primarily from your personal resume' but be prepared for anything. The judges will not ask anything political or religious unless that is something that you have added to your resume'.

PORTFOLIO - $35
OPEN TO ALL AGE DIVISIONS

Contestants may submit a Portfolio to showcase their photogenic abilities.

The portfolio should include 8–10 high-quality (8 x 10) photographs displayed in a portfolio binder. Photos should highlight the contestant in a variety of settings and demonstrate confidence, personality, and authenticity.

SERVICE ESSAY - $35
AGES 7 & UP ONLY

Contestants ages 7 and up may choose to submit an optional Service Essay to share their thoughts, experiences, or passion for community service.

This essay is designed to give contestants a voice and highlight the importance of community service in our communities, families, and future. Contestants may choose from provided prompts and should follow age-based length guidelines.

Full rules and submission details are available in the contestant handbook.

PLATFORM PITCH  - $35
AGES 7 & UP ONLY

Contestants ages 7 and up may choose to submit an optional Platform Pitch highlighting a cause or community service initiative they are passionate about—such as fighting food insecurity, organizing food drives, helping families in need, etc.

This will be a 60–90 second pre‑recorded video submitted virtually. Judges will evaluate each pitch based on knowledge of the issue, clarity of delivery, and overall passion for the chosen topic.

COMMUNITY QUEEN - $50
AGES 7 & UP ONLY

This competition is based on community service, mentoring, social media presence, appearances, and food donation involvement. Entries are judged using a service impact scrapbook, which will be reviewed by a panel of judges.

The service impact scrapbook is one of the most important components of the community queen optional. Judges use it to understand the depth of each contestant’s community service, mentoring efforts, leadership, appearances, and food donation involvement. Contestants are encouraged to treat the scrapbook as a comprehensive portfolio that documents not just what they did, but the impact they made.

To create a compelling and competitive scrapbook, contestants should consider including:

• Letters of Support or Testimony — Notes from individuals who have worked with the contestant, benefited from her service, or witnessed her leadership. These can come from teachers, community leaders, organization directors, mentees, or event partners. Signed letters on official letterhead add credibility.

• Photos With Context — High‑quality photos of events, volunteer activities, mentoring sessions, food donation projects, and leadership moments. Each photo should include a brief caption explaining the activity, the contestant’s role, and the outcome or impact.

• Event Descriptions — Clear explanations of service projects, food donation initiatives, workshops, mentoring programs, or community events the contestant helped organize or participated in. Include dates, locations, partners, and the purpose of each event.

• Documentation of Impact — Evidence of measurable results, such as the number of people served, hours volunteered, funds raised, or resources donated. Charts, summaries, or short narratives can help highlight the significance of the work.

• Receipts or Records of Donations — Copies of donation receipts, letters of acknowledgment, or official confirmations showing contributions made to organizations, food distribution programs, or community causes. These should be on letterhead whenever possible.

• Awards, Certificates, or Recognitions — Any honors related to service, leadership, food donation involvement, or mentoring. Include brief explanations of what each award represents.

• Social Media Highlights — Screenshots or printouts of posts that showcase the contestant’s outreach, advocacy, or promotion of food insecurity and community service. 

• Press Mentions or Articles — If the contestant has been featured in local news, school publications, or organizational newsletters, include clippings or screenshots with context.

• Personal Reflections — Short written reflections describing what the contestant learned, how she grew, and why her service matters to her community.

• Final Tip — Your scrapbook should be thorough, organized, and personal. Include anything that helps tell the full story of your service journey. The more detail and documentation you provide, the clearer your impact will be to the judges.

Thursday: Arrival, Check-in, & Talent

Friday: Interviews, Introductions, Heart Wear Fashion, & Queens Party

Saturday: Formalwear, Crowning, & Royalty Photos

A detailed final schedule will be posted following the June 1st deadline.

Questions about “The Lizzy Bee” Legacy Title?

Please direct all questions and inquiries to Serita Scanlan.

She’ll be happy to help with any questions about participation, donations, documentation, submissions, or the scholarship.

Questions about “The Sarah Bella” Legacy Award?

Please direct all questions and inquiries to Serita Scanlan.

She’ll be happy to help with any questions about participation, donations, documentation, submissions, or the scholarship.

Questions about “Betty’s Be a Blessing” Legacy Award?

Please direct all questions and inquiries to Betty Alberding.

She’ll be happy to help with any questions about participation, donations, documentation, submissions, or the scholarship.

Questions about “Chelsea’s Chats” Legacy Scholarship Award?

Please direct all questions and inquiries to Chelsea’s mom, Mrs. Corinna Lopez Guy.

She’ll be happy to help with any questions about participation, service hours, submissions, or the scholarship.

Questions about "Every Child Matters" Legacy Scholarship Award?

Please direct all questions and inquiries to Mikah Patton and/or Mikah’s mom, Kayce Boddie Patton.

They’ll be happy to help with any questions about participation, donations, documentation, submissions, or the scholarship.