Competition 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 transform raw data into insights, communicate their findings through dashboards, and present their stories to judges from academia and industry.

This page provides general guidelines for participating in the competition. Specific requirements, timelines, and judging criteria are communicated to registered teams each year.

Project & Deliverables

Teams create a visualization project centered on dashboards that tells a cohesive, audience-focused data story.

Strong projects typically:

Combine multiple visuals to explore questions and communicate meaningful insights.
Present findings clearly to an intended audience.
Balance analytical depth, creativity, and effective visual design.

Submissions should reflect the team's original analysis and design. Students may draw inspiration from existing examples, but are expected to develop and explain their own work.

Data Use

Teams work with data provided by the competition organizers. The focus is on how students analyze, interpret, and communicate insights from the data.

Participants may reference outside information to provide context or enrich their storytelling, but external sources must be clearly cited.

Presentation Guidelines

Teams present their findings live to a panel of judges.
Presentations should communicate a clear story supported by data and visualizations.
All team members are expected to contribute meaningfully to the project and presentation.
Presenters are encouraged to speak naturally, engage their audience, and explain their analytical decisions.
Professionalism, punctuality, and collaboration are expected throughout the competition.

Specific presentation formats, time limits, and technical requirements are provided for each competition round.

Advancement & Recognition

The competition typically consists of two rounds. Selected teams advance to the final round, where they have the opportunity to refine their work and present their findings again.

Awards recognize outstanding achievement in data analysis, visualization, and communication. Specific award categories and prizes may vary from year to year.

Judging Approach

Judges consider several dimensions of each team's work, including:

Analytical Thinking & Insights: Quality of analysis, interpretation, and problem-solving.
Data Storytelling & Communication: Ability to communicate meaningful findings to an intended audience.
Visualization & Design: Effective use of visuals to present information clearly and creatively.
Presentation: Clarity, engagement, and the ability to explain and defend findings.

The specific evaluation criteria and scoring approach may vary by competition year and round.

Support & Resources

Students are encouraged to seek help and develop their skills throughout the competition. Resources may include:

Online tutorials, communities, and forums for learning visualization tools and troubleshooting.
Guidance and support from competition organizers, as available.
Other learning opportunities and resources shared with registered teams.

Students may use appropriate digital tools to support learning and exploration, consistent with the requirements communicated for each competition year. Teams remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submitted work.