The Plateau of Competitions: a lack of appeal or a lack of application?

Getting students to be present and involved in academic activities can be a tough task for school administrators. I was very fortunate to be able to partake in an environmental competition my freshman year of high school thanks to my teacher who ran our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) club. It was through this competition that I learned and gained experience with presenting ideas and proposals to a board and taking constructive criticism that I would not have gained elsewhere. I learned how to extensively explore, analyze and construct an idea that could be beneficial for our environment. However, as we had planned to enroll in this competition again in the following year, the opportunity was stripped away from us when our teacher had left. Due to this, the club ended and I was no longer able to explore my interests within this topic. 

I really enjoyed my time in the competition and many high schoolers see the benefit of participating. High school competitions engage people into the topic at hand and enable youth to experience the industry in a way that no other opportunity or event can offer. They are able to make kids go in depth on research, artistic skills and ability, as well as teach them how to work together, work independently, communicate, and present their findings. All are valuable qualities they are going to need for both in the classroom and in the professional world. 

Despite the apparent benefits of such competitions, my school did not continue to make its resources accessible to students following my teacher’s departure. Unfortunately, what happened to me is a common occurrence for many other students in America. 

High school competitions and other extracurricular activities are subject to similar limitations in the funding provided from schools. When schools’ are forced to decrease their budget, one of the first things to go is its extracurriculars. Not only can this hurt students who wish to engage in such activities, but it also presents unintended consequences for school administrators. According to research compiled by BYU, “underfunded schools will not offer extracurricular activities that appeal to students… [which] negatively affects student retention.” 

A higher value of competitions needs to be placed by school administrators. They serve as a rare opportunity in public education where both students can benefit from the resources they provide while schools can create higher attendance rates. 

There is good reason for school administrators to seize the opportunity high school competitions offer. In the United States, state and district funding is often tied to higher attendance rates. With the potential for an increase in funding, it raises the question of why school administrators are so quick to cut school competitions. 

The reality of the situation is that high school competitions are an untapped market. With the ability to offer effective competitions of varying topics and sizes, schools are able to best optimize their extracurricular offerings for the school and its students. It’s a win-win situation.

But our youth and our school administrators will not get the chance to take advantage of these opportunities if our schools do not step up to establish more and expand upon the diversity of competitions. It’s time we stop treating competitions as optional and start viewing them as what they truly are: the necessary catalyst for student success and school growth.