Educate → Competitions
Design Competitions
Real professional STEM skills for middle and high school students — delivered through competitive, industry-simulation activities.
Start here
What’s a Design Competition?
A high-intensity industry-simulation event, in which students adopt professional roles, are given industry-specific challenges, and deliver real-world solutions.
Students step into the role of a professional engineering team. They’re handed a real-world brief — a Request for Proposal (RFP) — and have to research, design, and justify a working solution, then pitch it. It’s a genuine industry simulation, scaled for the classroom.
What students actually do
Get the brief
A themed RFP sets a real engineering challenge.
Form a team
Students work together like a professional firm.
Design & decide
Research, prototype, weigh trade-offs, run the numbers.
Build the deliverable
A written proposal or a presentation of the solution.
Pitch & be judged
Present to judges; individual award winners are invited to the International Summer Camp.
Future history
Set in the future — this year, Mars in 2052
Every competition takes place in a forecast world 20 to 35 years ahead, with a client, three rival companies and a contract to win. Space competitions move to a new part of the solar system each year; Environmental competitions run alongside, on Earth.
- +20 yearsCislunar spaceEarth orbit and the Moon2030 school year · set in 2050
- +25 yearsThis yearMarsMars and its moons, Phobos and Deimos2027 school year · set in 2052
- +30 yearsThe inner solar systemMercury and Venus2028 school year · set in 2058
- +35 yearsThe outer solar systemThe asteroid belt and the gas giants2029 school year · set in 2064
Environmental competitions run every year, on Earth, in the same future — this year, 2052.
Previous student work
Real work from real competitions
A rotating look at the proposals, presentations and designs students have produced — the kind of deliverable every team builds and pitches.
“To my surprise I even ended up winning the award for the best overall teammate and competitor. I thought it was such an incredible experience… to improve my network and familiarity with the work environment!”
Hunter Dobson
Choose how you take part
Both pathways run the same competitions — pick the one that fits your schedule, geography, and budget.
Pathway 1
Live Event
A competition run by Stellr
Pathway 2
Curriculum Campaign
You run it in class, from our curriculum
Pick a theme
Each competition is built on one real-world theme for the 2027 school year. Open to all high school students.
Space
Engineering inspired by space exploration — students tackle the systems that keep a mission alive and on course.
What students explore
- ·Propulsion & trajectory
- ·Life support & oxygen supply
- ·Habitat & radiation shielding
- ·Power generation & storage
- ·Communication systems
- ·Mass, cost & risk budgets
Example brief: Design a lunar-surface habitat that keeps a four-person crew alive and productive for 90 days — managing power, oxygen, water recycling, radiation shielding and a fixed launch-mass budget.
Environmental
Real-world environmental problems solved through systems thinking, sustainable design and honest engineering trade-offs.
What students explore
- ·Renewable energy & efficiency
- ·Water, waste & materials
- ·Carbon & emissions modeling
- ·Cost vs. environmental impact
- ·Climate & site constraints
- ·Long-term upkeep & payback
Example brief: Design a net-zero energy system for a town of 5,000 — balancing generation, storage and demand against a capital budget, the local climate and a 10-year payback target.
See what’s included
Core material is, and always will be, free. Unlock your membership — by participating in a competition — to gather the tools and resources to succeed.
Educator
Free
Everyone starts here
RFP (abridged)
Campaign Guide — Teacher BASIC
Campaign Guide — Student BASIC
Optional submission & written judging feedback
Mission Handbook (abridged)
Catalyst
$149
Full material & PD hours
Everything in Educator, plus
RFP — full edition
Campaign Guide — Teacher MODERATE
Campaign Guide — Student MODERATE
Introductory call
PD certificate — 2 hrs
Innovator
$499
Live feedback & mentoring
Everything in Catalyst, plus
Campaign Guide — Teacher ADVANCED
Campaign Guide — Student ADVANCED
90 min of live student feedback (1–3 calls)
Standards alignment: Common Core
Agentic contractors
Trailblazer
$999
Standards, SCORM & awards
Everything in Innovator, plus
LMS upload (SCORM formatted)
Student membership upgraded to Pathfinder for 1 year
3 hrs of live student feedback (2–6 calls)
Standards alignment: NGSS, ISTE, TEKS
AI ethics: career planning + teacher guide
Registering for a Competition gives your students Pathfinder membership, free for 12 months.
View membership tiers100% money-back guarantee
Ask for a full refund within 45 days of payment. No questions asked. How it works
Compete for awards
Every Challenge and Campaign ends with four awards. Judges choose the winning company; the mentors who work alongside students choose the individuals. Select an award to see how it’s decided.
Judges choose the champions
Industry professionals score every company’s presentation or proposal and pick the winning design.
Mentors choose the individuals
The volunteer mentors who work with each company pick its Creative Vision Award and Quiet Leadership Award winners, and nominate Engineering Excellence Award winners from the champions.
Winners are recognized
Awards are announced at the closing ceremony, or with Campaign results. Each comes with a certificate and a digital credential to add to LinkedIn.
International Summer Camp · mid-July
Win an individual award, earn an invitation
Creative Vision Award, Quiet Leadership Award and Engineering Excellence Award winners from every Challenge and Campaign are invited to the International Summer Camp, run by our partner Frontier Challenges. Attendance carries a fee.
FAQ
Common questions
How much does a Stellr competition cost?
Classroom Campaigns are free — the entry-level Educator membership covers the core material for teachers and students. Live Challenges charge a per-participant fee that varies by event and includes a year of Stellr membership, meals and materials. Scholarships are available so cost is never a barrier.
What grades can take part?
Live Challenges are open to grades 7–12. Campaigns are for grades 7–12.
Do students need to prepare or have prior experience?
No. Live Challenges are designed for students to arrive and compete with no preparation, and Campaigns include everything a group needs. Teachers do not need to be engineers or scientists.
How are teams organized?
At live Challenges, students register individually or in groups of 2–12 and are formed into engineering companies on the day. Campaigns are entered as a group registered by a teacher, mentor or student manager; a school can enter as many groups as it likes.
What do students produce, and who judges it?
Each team responds to a Request for Proposal with a written proposal (Campaigns) or a live presentation (Challenges). Work is judged by professionals from aerospace, engineering and science industries, and Campaign groups receive written feedback.
What awards can students win?
Four. The Creative Vision Award and the Quiet Leadership Award go to one student in every company, chosen by the volunteer mentors who work with it. The Champions Award goes to every member of the company the judges rank best. The Engineering Excellence Award goes to standout engineers from that winning company, nominated by its mentors.
Can I progress to a future event by winning an event I attend?
Yes. Creative Vision Award, Quiet Leadership Award and Engineering Excellence Award winners from every Challenge and Campaign are invited to the International Summer Camp, held in mid-July and run by our partner Frontier Challenges. Attendance carries a fee.
Ready to start?
Register for an upcoming live event, or download curriculum to run a campaign in your classroom.