A Big Idea Contest for Bold Young Thinkers
The Sparkyard: High School Edition
This isn't just any contest—it's your chance to spark BIG ideas, show off your creativity, and help shape the future of school.
Welcome to The Sparkyard!
This isn't just any contest—it's your chance to spark BIG ideas, show off your creativity, and help shape the future of school.
What's This All About?
To celebrate the beginning of the school year and 4.0's mission to invest in 10,000 big ideas, we're inviting high schoolers across the country to dream up bold, creative ways to reimagine school.
Whether your idea is wild, weird, or totally genius—we want to hear it!
How It Works
WHO
Students in grades 9–12 and their educators
WHAT
Submit your biggest, boldest idea in 250 characters or less
WHEN
Contest runs November–December 2025 (5 weeks, 5 chances to win!)
WHERE
Right here 👇 Submit your idea in the form below!
WHY
Winners get a $100 Amazon gift card + a featured spotlight on this page!
Big Idea Challenge: Official Contest Timeline
🏆 Weekly Winners
Each week, 5 student ideas will be chosen by our review crew for:
🔥 Check out this week's winners:
Submit Your Idea!
🎉 Use the form below to pitch your idea in 250 characters or less. Keep it clear, bold, and school-changing!
For Teachers/Advisors
Want to run this in your class? Download our free Teacher Toolkit—a plug-and-play 30-minute lesson that makes it super easy to guide your students through idea generation and submission.
📎 Teacher Toolkit (Drive Folder)💬 Got Questions?
Who can participate?
Any U.S. high school student currently in grades 9–12 is eligible to submit ideas and win.
How do I submit my idea?
Scroll to the Submit section and use the Typeform embedded on this page. Keep your idea to 250 characters or less!
When are winners announced?
Winners are selected and announced every Friday at 5pm PT throughout the contest period (November–December 2025).
What do winners receive?
Each weekly winner receives a $100 Amazon gift card and will be featured with a spotlight on this page!
Can I submit more than one idea?
Yes! You can submit a new idea each week. Each week has a different prompt, so feel free to share multiple ideas.
How are ideas judged?
Our review crew evaluates ideas based on creativity, big impact potential, and clarity of explanation.
Email us at aaron@4pt0.org or ask your teacher for help!