EngineerTeen 2027: Match Your Narrative, Storyboard and Grade Band

Choose your grade band before drafting for EngineerTeen 2027, “How to Train Your Robot.” The official prompt asks students to describe training an AI robot in a familiar learning setting and show its learning progression. You do not need to build, buy or program a physical robot.

Plan two connected parts: your own narrative and a matching 4–10-panel storyboard. A written story alone is not a complete entry.

Check the grade band and eligibility

This is an individual competition for U.S.-equivalent grades 3–12, with one entry per student in one category. Canadian, other international and homeschooled students use the grade category in which they would be placed in a U.S. public school.

The rules exclude previous EngineerGirl or EngineerTeen cash‑prize winners from entering the same age group again. National Academies employees and their immediate family or household members are also excluded; the contest is void where prohibited.

Match the narrative limit to your grade

The current prompt sets these maximum narrative lengths and reference requirements:

• Grades 3–4: 800 words; no reference list required.
• Grades 5–6: 1,000 words; an APA‑style list of up to five resources is optional.
• Grades 7–9: 1,200 words; an APA‑style list of up to eight resources is required.
• Grades 10–12: 1,200 words; an APA‑style list of up to eight resources is required.

References are outside the narrative word count. Moving from the grades 5–6 limit to the grades 7–9 limit adds 1200 - 1000 = 200 words, but it also makes the reference list mandatory. Follow your actual grade band rather than treating the larger allowance as permission to enter another category.

Make the storyboard match the narrative

The storyboard must have 4–10 panels and may be hand‑drawn or digital. It should show the robot's learning, mistakes, feedback and improvement in a sequence that matches the written narrative.

The official rubric weighs storyboard quality alongside voice, learning and ethical guidance. Clear communication matters; polished drawing alone does not replace the required reasoning or original authorship.

Use help without transferring authorship

The current rules allow AI support for research, brainstorming, understanding concepts, organizing thoughts and checking grammar, spelling or clarity. You remain responsible for facts and citations. AI must not create the response you enter, including the submitted writing or artwork.

Asking AI to write an answer and making minor edits does not make it your own work. Keep authorship with the student in both parts of the entry.

The teacher guidance allows adults and peers to discuss ideas, find resources and give feedback on drafts or mockups. That support does not make this a team entry or authorize someone else to write or draw your submission.

Check the form, privacy and consent

The current official page displays the 2027 submission form. Paste the narrative into its text field, put references in the reference field and upload the storyboard image; a link to an externally hosted document will not be judged.

The FAQ lists PNG, JPG or GIF. Keep the image below 3 MB: the upload helper says “less than 3 MB,” while the FAQ says “no larger than 3 MB.” An exactly 3 MB file has not been upload‑tested here.

Keep names, ages, addresses, contact details and other identifying information out of the entry text and artwork. The organizer's separate form requests entrant and guardian information; this does not make the form anonymous.

A parent or guardian must approve participation and the information shared. A teacher or another adult may complete the form with guardian consent if the parent cannot do so. The student must still create the submitted work.

Before agreeing, read the rules and downloadable terms. Entry grants NAE broad use and publicity permissions; winners agree to exclusive assignment of rights, including copyright. Do not assume a winner retains unrestricted reuse rights.

Work back from the exact EST cutoff

All entries must be received before February 1, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time, which is UTC−5. This is not the participant's local midnight. The reviewed official pages do not state an entry fee.

The official FAQ says confirmation includes a unique entry ID for retrieving or editing the submission before the deadline. Keep that ID private. The public form was inspected without entering data or testing an upload, submission or confirmation receipt.

HAEA preparation advice: check your grade band, both required parts, file size and guardian consent before the final day. Use the organizer's current form and rules for submission, and keep the narrative and artwork your own.