About this competition
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global video competition for students ages 13-18. The brief: produce a video, 3 minutes or shorter, explaining a challenging or important concept in physics, life sciences, or mathematics in a way that's engaging and accessible.
The prize package is unusually large: $250,000 college scholarship to the winner, $50,000 to their teacher, plus a $100,000 science lab for their school. The competition is run by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation (the Yuri Milner-backed group that also runs the adult Breakthrough Prizes worth $3M each).
The format rewards a different skill from research olympiads: science communication. Strong fit for students who want to combine creative production (video editing, animation, storytelling) with deep technical understanding.
Season & deadlines
Submissions open in spring; deadline is September 15 each year. Winners announced in November/December.
Season window: May through September.
Cost
Free — Free to enter.
Prizes & outcomes
$250,000 post-secondary scholarship + $50,000 teacher prize + $100,000 school science lab. Total package over $400,000.
Past winners
Browse the complete list of winners by year — every district that named a winner is listed.