How Red Ocean Competition works
Red Ocean Competition is built for students who want to build, communicate, create, and prove — before graduation. Here is the path from registration to recognition, across all four championships.
The competition journey
Five steps. Four championships. One standard of excellence.
Choose your championship
Students choose Founder Championship, Communication Olympiad, STEM & Innovation Championship, or Creative Arts Championship — the field where their work fits best.
Prepare your entry
Founder entries choose a stage track: Idea, Build, Launch, or Traction. Communication, STEM & Innovation, and Creative Arts entries prepare the appropriate submission format for their category.
Submit your work
Students submit the required materials: pitch, project, video, portfolio, report, campaign, demo, prototype, or presentation depending on the championship.
Finalist review
Judges review submissions based on originality, execution, communication, quality, and real-world impact — using rubrics tuned to each championship.
Showcase and awards
Top entries may be invited to present, pitch, perform, or defend their work. Gold, Silver, and Bronze recognize excellence within a field. The Red Medal honors the best across Red Ocean.
Gold is earned in your field. Red is earned across Red Ocean.
Each championship awards Gold, Silver, and Bronze for excellence within its field or categories. The Red Medal is a rare overall Red Ocean honor selected from top Gold-level entries across all championships.
Red Medal is not a replacement for Gold. Gold remains the highest medal inside a championship or category. Red Medal is an additional overall honor — rare, prestigious, and earned across all of Red Ocean.
Explore championships