Rules and Guidelines

Background

The High School Analytics & Data Visualization Competition is designed to help students experience what it’s like to think—and present—like data professionals. Teams will transform raw data into insights, communicate their findings through dashboards, and present their stories to a panel of judges from academia and industry. Specific datasets, timelines, and submission details are shared with registered teams each year.

This page outlines the expectations, format, and judging approach that guide the competition. Rules are kept consistent across rounds to ensure fairness and a rewarding experience for every participant.

Deliverables

Teams will create a visualization project—centered on interactive dashboards—that tells a cohesive, audience-focused data story and is presented live to a panel of judges.

Strong presentations typically:

Combine several visuals that work together to answer key questions.
Communicate clearly to a specific audience.
Are thoughtfully designed to balance clarity, creativity, and technical skill.

Dashboards must be original creations—students may draw inspiration from public examples but must produce their own analysis and design.

Data Use

All teams work from a common dataset provided by the organizers to ensure a level playing field. The focus is on how teams analyze, interpret, and communicate insights from the data. Participants may reference outside information for context or to enrich storytelling, but all such sources must be clearly cited. The emphasis is on interpreting and visualizing the data, not simply restating it.

Presentation Guidelines

Presentations take place live using the competition’s designated data visualization platform.
Each team has a fixed time window to present and respond to questions from judges.
All registered student team members are expected to participate actively.
Presenters are encouraged to speak naturally and engage their audience.
Presentations are evaluated on clarity, confidence, and overall storytelling.
Professionalism, punctuality, and collaboration are expected throughout.

Advancement and Recognition

The competition includes two rounds. Teams advancing to the second round will:

Receive feedback from judges to improve their dashboards and delivery.
Present revised versions of their work to a new judging panel.

Awards recognize excellence across analysis, design, communication, and responsible and transparent use of emerging tools—including special honors for outstanding dashboard design and effective use of AI.

Judging Framework

Judges evaluate entries across key areas such as:

Communication: Does the dashboard clearly define its audience and tell a coherent story?
Compliance: Does the work adhere to competition guidelines and presentation standards?
Insight & Technical Skill: Does the work demonstrate strong analytical thinking and command of visualization tools?
Creativity: Is the story original, engaging, and memorable?
Design & Aesthetics: Are visuals well-chosen, readable, and visually balanced?
Presentation: Are presenters confident, clear, and audience-focused?

Scores are based on a holistic view of storytelling, design, and delivery.

Support and Resources

Students are encouraged to seek help and learn as they go. Resources may include:

Workshops, labs, or learning opportunities focused on visualization best practices (when offered).
Online communities and forums for tool support, troubleshooting, and inspiration.
Competition organizers, who are available to answer questions and provide guidance.
Teams may also use appropriate digital tools to support learning and exploration, consistent with competition guidelines and expectations for original work.