Overview

Q: What is the Engineering Challenge Showcase?
A: The Engineering Challenge Showcase is a gallery of student submissions for the current year's annual challenge. The 2026 challenge is the Ball Run Challenge.

Q: What is the People's Choice Award?
A: The People's Choice Award is the title given to the team that receives the most votes (❤️).

Q: Is every team included in the Engineering Challenge Showcase?
A: Every team with a valid entry is automatically included in the Engineering Challenge Showcase.

Q: Can a team opt out of the Engineering Challenge Showcase?
A: All teams are automatically included. If your team needs to be removed from the Engineering Challenge Showcase, please email [email protected] with your request. Please include the team name, school name, state (if in the US), and country.

Q: Are teams of all ages included?
A: Yes, teams of all ages are included. We automatically blur the faces on all entries to protect student privacy.

Voting

Q: When does voting open?
A: Voting opens with the challenge on February 22, 2026.

Q: When does voting end?
A: Voting ends April 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Q: Who can vote?
A: All students, teachers, friends, family, and community members are invited to browse entries and vote for their favorites.

Q: Do you have to be logged in to vote?
A: Yes. You must be logged in to vote. Creating an account is free.

Q: Can you vote more than once?
A: You may vote once per team. You may vote for as many different teams as you like.

Q: How do you vote?
A: To vote for a team, simply click the heart (❤️)️.

Q: Can I change a vote?
A: No. Once you have voted for a team, your vote cannot be removed.

Q: How is the People's Choice Award winner determined?
A: The winner is the team with the most votes (❤️) when voting ends.

Eligibility & Prizes

Q: Who is eligible to win the People's Choice Award?
A: All teams are eligible to earn the People's Choice Award title. The team located in an eligible geographic location with the highest number of votes will also receive a monetary award for their school or organization. (See the challenge rules for complete eligibility requirements and locations.)

Q: What does "eligible location" mean?
A: To be eligible for the monetary award, the team must be based in one of the geographic locations listed on the main challenge page. All eligibility requirements for the main challenge apply to the Engineering Challenge Showcase.

Q: Can a team win both the main challenge award and the monetary People's Choice Award?
A: No. A team may receive only one prize per challenge year. A team that wins a random drawing prize cannot win the monetary award in the Engineering Challenge Showcase.

Q: What happens if there is a tie?
A: If there is a tie, the People's Choice Award winner will be determined by a random drawing between the teams with the highest number of votes.

Q: What happens if my team wins?
A: If your team has the highest number of votes at the end of the voting period and is eligible for the monetary prize, the adult contact listed on the entry will be contacted. The People's Choice Award winner will be listed when the Ball Run Challenge results are posted.

Finding & Viewing Entries

Q: How do I find my school's teams?
A: You can locate your school's teams by searching for the school using the School Name box. You can also search by team name or state.

Q: I can't make the State filter work.
A: To search by state, select the country first.

Q: Why can't I find my team?
A: If you are having trouble locating your team, try using the State filter. If you cannot locate your team, the entry either was not received or is under review. A teacher or adult contact can view the status of the entry.

Q: When will my team's entry appear in the Engineering Challenge Showcase?
A: Entries appear in the Engineering Challenge Showcase shortly after submission unless they are flagged for review.

Q: How do I view team photos or videos?
A: Click the View Images button to view the images in a pop-up window.

Q: Why does nothing happen when I try to view the images?
A: The images open in a pop-up window. If you are using a pop-up blocker, you may need to temporarily turn it off.

Q: Why are student faces blurred?
A: Student faces are automatically blurred when the images are added to the Engineering Challenge Showcase. This is for the safety and privacy of all entrants.

Reporting Issues

Q: What should I do if I see inappropriate content?
A: If you see inappropriate or concerning content, click the Report Content button to let us know. Clicking this button automatically alerts our team, and the content will be reviewed. You do not need to click the button more than once.

Q: What should I do if I have questions about a team's score?
A: The scores shown with team entries are part of the challenge submission. Voting in the Engineering Challenge Showcase is not based on scores. The People's Choice Award is determined solely by the number of votes an entry receives. The Report Content button is intended for inappropriate content or technical issues, not questions about scoring.