Student Engagement Activities
For Students Enrolled in a K12-powered School

The K12 Writing Competition Opens October 15
Students in grades K-12 are invited to submit original poetry and narrative writing in the 2027 K12 Writing Competition. Open to all students, whether enrolled in a K12-powered school or not, the competition offers exciting prizes, national recognition, and the opportunity to showcase creative talents.
Public voting takes place throughout the competition, so early submissions can start earning votes right away. Don't miss your chance to put your writing in the spotlight!
Enter today and start building support for your work over at: Writing Competition - K12 Enrichment
K12 Game On is Now Open
Calling all future game designers, storytellers, and innovators, K12 Game On is now open! This exciting competition invites all K12-powered students to create and pitch their own educational game idea ideas.
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- Showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills through all game idea types
- Connect their love for games with learning
- Earn recognition and compete for exciting prizes
Get ready to turn your ideas into something extraordinary! Coding and game design experience is NOT required. All it takes is an idea for an original game to get started!
Learn more and submit your idea over at Game On - K12 Enrichment
K12 Minecraft Build Challenge: Fall Festival
Build the Ultimate Fall Festival by designing a festive autumn celebration that captures the spirit of the season and brings your community together.
Your build can include a harvest-themed area featuring farms, crop fields, orchards, barns, farmers' markets, or harvest celebrations, along with other fall-inspired attractions such as pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hayrides, carnival games, cozy gathering spaces, seasonal decorations, and more.
All entries must be submitted by 5 PM (Eastern Time) on November 30, 2026.
How to Submit:
1. Create your build in Minecraft Education
2. Upload up to 3 photos of your build OR upload a video walkthrough (max. of 2 minutes in length)
Entry Period: September 1–November 30, 2026
Public Voting: December 15 –15, 2026
🎉One winning build will be selected from each grade band: K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12. Each winner will receive a $25 Tango e-gift card. Winners will be chosen by public vote.
To complete this challenge, participants will need to download Minecraft Education and use their K12 login credentials to activate their license to play the game world.
Submit your build and get all the details over at K12 Minecraft Challenge: Fall Festival
Inside Roxy’s Farm: Meet the Animals (10/1)
Calling all animal lovers! Join us at Roxy’s Farm to meet rescued animals and learn what goes into keeping them happy, healthy, and safe. Hear their stories, see where they live, and learn how compassion and responsible care help animals.
Date/Time: October 1 at 2 PM (ET)
Visit the Duke Lemur Center (10/5)
Travel to the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina, where lemurs spend their summer days leaping, snacking, and snoozing in large forest habitats. Education Programs Manager Megan McGrath will take you on a virtual field trip into one of those forest habitats, where you can watch the lemurs while learning all about them and their native home, Madagascar.
Date/Time: October 5 at 11 AM (ET)
Snakes and Legless Lizards (10/7)
Ever wonder what makes a snake a snake? Meet up with snakes and legless lizards and learn about what makes them unique.
Date/Time: October 7 at 1 PM (ET)
Art and Identity with the Norton Museum of Art (10/16)
Explore the different way’s identity can be portrayed through art, encompassing community, personal connections, and self-expression. Together, we’ll consider questions such as: Who are we, and how do we see ourselves in the world? How do artists view themselves and depict others?
Date/Time: October 16 at 3 PM (ET)
Remarkable Reptiles (10/21)
Slither, crawl, and explore the incredible world of reptiles with a Clearwater Marine Aquarium marine biologist! Meet amazing reptiles like snakes, lizards, turtles, and more while learning how their adaptations help them survive in different environments. Discover the secrets behind scales, camouflage, and other features that make reptiles extraordinary!
Date/Time: October 21 at 3:30 PM (ET)
Explore the National Marine Aquarium (10/27)
Join us as we head to the United Kingdom to visit the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. We’ll tour the aquarium and explore some of its most popular marine exhibits, showcasing the incredible biodiversity found in local waters and around the world. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover fascinating marine life and learn more about our oceans.
Date/Time: October 27 at 12 PM (ET)
Meet the Baby Animals at the Whipsnade Zoo (10/28)
There’s been a baby boom at the Whipsnade Zoo located in Bedfordshire, England, just north of London! Join us as we take a stroll around the United Kingdom’s largest zoo to see how many of these precious new arrivals we can meet. What will we see? Red pandas, lions, oryxes, cheetahs, rhinos, and elephants? Tune in to find out!
Date/Time: October 28 at 12 PM (ET)
Meet the Capybaras at the Hertfordshire Zoo (10/29)
Take a trip to the Hertfordshire Zoo in the United Kingdom! Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world and they love the water! We'll learn all about them and the wetlands they call home while they are being fed. In the same enclosure are another large rainforest animal, the tapir...often described as a pig with a small trunk (like an elephant).
Date/Time: October 29 at 12 PM (ET)
📺 Watch Past K12 Virtual Field Trips
Did you miss a K12 Virtual Field Trip? Check out the resources below to watch past virtual field trips and to and to sign-up for future ones! Visit Virtual Field Trips - K12 Enrichment
Visit the new K12 National Competition Student Winners website
The K12 National Competition Student Winners website highlights the national winners from previous competitions. Watch all of the excitement and help celebrate these incredible achievements!
K12 Esports League Fall Season Registration
Get in the Game This Fall with the K12 Esports League!
The countdown is on! Be sure to register for the K12 Esports League today. The Fall season is just around the corner, with official matches beginning October 12. Secure your spot and get ready to play!
Register by 5PM (ET) October 30, 2026
Get all the details over at: K12 Esports League - K12 Enrichment
Previous matches and streamed events can be viewed on the official K12 Esports Twitch & YouTube channel:
🎮K12 Esports League Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/k12_esports_league
🎮K12 Esports League YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@k12esportsleague
💻 K12 Zone
🏢 College and Career
📲 Connect with K12 on Social Media
Follow us on social media!
We have K12 Student Engagement channels on the platforms below. We share about student engagement opportunities, as well as showcase student talent and elevate students to feel seen and hear! Follow us today!
Follow our K12 Student Instagram Channel! @k12.student
This channel is meant to share about student engagement opportunities, as well as showcase student talent and elevate student voices to feel seen and heard! This channel is meant for our students to follow and connect with one another, as well as see what fun things we have happening!
Follow us on Threads!
You can also follow us on Threads! Our Threads account is a light-hearted channel sharing positive messages, joke, and K12 national competitions and virtual field trips events. You can us find at k12.student. Follow us today!
Follow us on Facebook!
Follow us on Facebook! The K12 Student Engagement Facebook page highlights exciting competitions, challenges, and national student winners. You can also watch live-streams of winner reveals and K12 Virtual Field Trips. You can find us at K12 Student Engagement. Follow us today!