Rules

Student Teams may opt in to participate in the People’s Choice Award category by creating a :30 second video explaining the Student Team’s Invitational Round Final Mission solution to be shared with the community for an “online crowd vote” on the Competition Website. People’s Choice submissions are due along with the final Invitational Round Mission Evidence Submission by March 31, 2026. People’s Choice Award will be selected by “online crowd vote” April 15-May 1, 2026, on the Competition Website. A maximum of twenty-five (25) teams will be selected per age category to participate in the online crowd vote based on highest rubric score. Online crowd vote eligibility determination rubric (including adhering to all video submission rules): 40 points for communicating solution and 10 points for creativity. Wonder Workshop will notify all teams who have been selected to participate in the online crowd vote and will share materials to help promote your submission and encourage community support. People’s Choice Award will be awarded to the Student Team who receives the highest number of “votes”. This is an optional category for Teams to enter and will not impact scoring of the Invitational Round submission as they will be judged by STEM and Coding experts using a published rubric. All calculations, formulae, algorithms, and other methods of score tabulation and evaluation shall be at the sole and exclusive discretion of the Judges and Sponsor and shall not be subject to Competition or appeal.

People’s Choice Awards Voting Requirements

The following are the requirements for voting in the People’s Choice Awards:

• IP-Based Daily Voting Limit: Participants are entitled to submit one vote per day per unique IP address, per IP address.
• Non-Transferable IP Address: Each vote must originate from a single, non-modifiable IP address.
• VPN and Proxy Restrictions: The use of virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxies to alter one’s IP address for voting purposes is strictly prohibited.
• Daily Voting Quota: Individuals are limited to casting a single vote per 24-hour period.
• IP Locking Mechanism: The voting platform employs IP tracking to enforce the one-vote-per-day rule.
• Fair and Equal Opportunity: To ensure fairness, participants may not change their IP addresses or employ VPNs during the competition.
• Compliance with Rules: Participants are expected to adhere to these voting regulations to maintain the integrity of the competition.
• Anti-Manipulation Measures: Measures are in place to prevent any attempts at circumventing the IP-based voting restrictions.
• Transparency and Accountability: The competition organizers maintain the right to monitor and enforce these voting terms to ensure a level playing field for all participants.