Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum launched the National High School Design Competition in 2016. Every year, students around the country are challenged to design a solution to a unique scenario, inspired by Cooper Hewitt’s rich collection and stimulating exhibitions.
See the 2025 program prompt here
Location(s)
- Remote
- Finalists will attend the in-person Mentor Weekend at a location that is TBD
Schedule
- Finalists are projected to be announced in April, 2025
- In April 2025, finalists will receive initial feedback from an assigned mentor during an hour-long virtual Zoom meeting or phone call.
- In May 2025, finalists will attend an in-person Mentor Weekend. (Domestic travel and accommodations provided.)
- In June 2025, finalists will participate in a virtual Judging Weekend on Zoom to learn more about design and present their designs live to a diverse panel of creative experts.
Cost/Compensation
- This is a free competition
- Domestic travel and lodging will be provided for the in-person finalist weekend at MIT
Eligibility Requirements
- Students must be a high school student in grades 9-12, between the ages of 13-19
Deadline
- February 10, 2025
Application or Entry Requirements
- See the 2025 challenge design prompt here
- Your name and contact information, and the names and contact information for all team members, if applicable. Note: Only one team member should create an account and submit your entry on behalf of the team.
- An upload of your design sketch as a .jpg (must be at least 8.5 x 11″ at 300 dpi), or alternate file type as described in step 1.
- Responses to the design challenge questions noted in step 2.
- An upload of your signed parent/legal guardian consent form, which will be released by January 6, 2025, as a .pdf or .jpg file (must be 300 dpi). The form must be completed and uploaded, and don’t forget the signature! If you are submitting a team entry, each team member must submit a signed parent/legal guardian consent form.
Notifications of Decisions
- Finalists and Honorable Mentions will be announced online and their designs will be displayed on the Cooper Hewitt website in early April
Financial Aid Details
Other Dates to Keep in Mind
- December 10, 2024: Competition launches
- January 13, 2025: Online entry period begins
Have other questions?
Founded in 1897 by Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt, the granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum advances the public understanding of design through dynamic, interactive exhibitions, stimulating programming, and a broad array of online learning resources. A 21st-century museum housed in New York City’s landmark Carnegie Mansion, Cooper Hewitt offers four floors of galleries dedicated to all disciplines of design, a permanent collection of more than 215,000 design objects fully digitized and available online, and a world-class design library. Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to historical and contemporary design, and is the steward of one of the most diverse and comprehensive design collections in existence. Cooper Hewitt’s collection serves as inspiration for creative work of all kinds and tells the story of design’s paramount importance in improving our world.
