How to Find Extracurriculars in Your State

Author: ExtracurricularHub Editorial Team · Reviewed by Parker, Founder — editorial policy

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Article Summary

Find extracurriculars in your state: science fairs, History Day, Poetry Out Loud, page programs, Governor's Schools, 4-H and pre-college programs.

Full Article

Some of the best-fitting opportunities for a high schooler aren't national at all. They're run by your state: a state science fair, a History Day contest, a Poetry Out Loud final, a page job at your capitol, a Governor's School. Many are open only to students who live or go to school in that state, and some cost nothing. They're also easy to miss, because they're spread across state agencies, universities and nonprofits rather than listed in one place.

This guide explains the seven kinds of state-level programs to look for, with real examples from our catalog, and links to the page for every state. Facts about each program come from its official page, checked on September 26, 2026.

Start with Your State's Page

Every state and Washington, DC has its own page listing the programs in our catalog located there, with deadlines and costs. Pick yours:

RegionState pages
NortheastConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont
MidwestIllinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
SouthAlabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC, West Virginia
WestAlaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

A state page shows programs based in that state. National and online programs are open to you too, so browse summer programs and online extracurriculars alongside it.

1. State Science and Engineering Fairs

In many states, a state science fair sits between your school or regional fair and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. You usually can't enter the state fair directly. The California Science and Engineering Fair takes students who qualify through affiliated county and multi-county regional fairs, and the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair, set for April 1-3, 2027 in Athens, takes students who qualify at one of Georgia's regional fairs. At the Minnesota State Science & Engineering Fair, middle and high school students present original research, and top students are selected for ISEF. Our science fair guide explains how to find your fair and which approvals you need before you start experimenting.

2. National History Day State Contests

National History Day works like a ladder. Projects start at your school and can advance to a regional contest or to an affiliate (state) contest. The top two entries in each category at each affiliate contest are invited to the National Contest each June at the University of Maryland. You can enter a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary or a website.

Each state runs its own contest and calendar. Kansas History Day is for grades 6-12, and registration for its 2027 district contests opens January 8, 2027. Oklahoma National History Day runs regional contests in the spring, and the best projects move on to the state contest. NHD says projects can start at any public, private, parochial, charter or homeschool, so if your school doesn't take part, ask a history teacher or contact your state's History Day office.

3. Poetry Out Loud State Finals

Poetry Out Loud is a recitation contest for high school students. It's a National Endowment for the Arts initiative run in each state by the state arts agency. Students memorize and recite poems from the Poetry Out Loud anthology. Competition starts in classrooms and schools, winners move up, and a state champion goes on to the National Finals, which Delaware's arts division lists for April 26-28, 2027 in Washington, D.C.

  • Delaware: schools and organizations register through October 30, 2026, and the state finals are February 18, 2027 in Smyrna. Public, private, parochial, independent, charter and homeschool students are all welcome.
  • Montana: schools register by December 1, regional events run February 2-11, and the state finals are March 6 in Helena.
  • Nevada: open to Nevada students in grades 9-12, including homeschool and distance-learning students, through a pyramid of classroom, school, district and state rounds.

Because schools register, not individual students, the first step is asking an English or drama teacher. Delaware's page says the National Champion receives a $20,000 award.

4. Legislative Page Programs

Many state legislatures bring high school students to the capitol during the session to deliver messages, run errands and help committees. The rules vary widely. The Minnesota House brings juniors to Saint Paul for a week, while the Washington Legislature takes students ages 14-16 for a week, with a $67-a-day stipend and applications opening November 1, 2026. Several programs, including Idaho's, Iowa's and Virginia's, have fall deadlines for the 2027 session. Our guide to legislative page programs and youth legislatures compares them.

5. Governor's Schools

Governor's Schools are state-backed programs, most of them residential summer programs for rising juniors and seniors. The Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences is five weeks at Carnegie Mellon at no cost for rising seniors who live in Pennsylvania, and the Mississippi Governor's School is two weeks, with tuition, room and meals covered. Many are nominated through your school, so talk to your counselor early. See our Governor's School guide or the full Governor's School list.

6. 4-H State Events

State 4-H programs run through university Extension services, and several hold statewide events for teen members. Kansas 4-H Discovery Days is a "mini college experience" at Kansas State University for youth 13-18. In 2026 it ran June 3-5 and cost $245. Nebraska 4-H and University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty host Big Red Summer Academic Camps, week-long residential career exploration camps for students entering grades 9-12. In Mississippi, 4-H members can serve as Senate pages through the 4-H Senate Page Program. If you're not in 4-H yet, ask your county Extension office how to join.

7. State-University Pre-College Programs

Public universities also run summer programs, and some are aimed at their own state's students. COSMOS, the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science run by the University of California, is open only to California high school students, from rising 9th graders through rising 12th graders. It asks for a personal statement and at least one teacher recommendation. The University of Florida's Student Science Training Program is a seven-week residential research program for students entering senior year, and it holds a limited number of spots for students from non-Florida high schools. Check your own state's flagship and land-grant universities for pre-college and summer pages.

How to Search Well

  1. Know who runs each type. Arts agencies run Poetry Out Loud, legislatures run page programs, Extension offices run 4-H, and education departments or universities usually run Governor's Schools. When a program isn't listed anywhere else, the agency's own site is where it lives.
  2. Work through your school. Science fairs, History Day and Poetry Out Loud usually start with a teacher, and Governor's School nominations start with your counselor.
  3. Put fall dates on a calendar now. Poetry Out Loud registration, page program applications and Governor's School deadlines cluster in October and November, while the contests themselves mostly happen in winter and spring.
  4. Save what you find. Add programs to the Activities Builder so their deadlines stay in view.

For more ways to search, see how to find extracurriculars in high school and extracurriculars for small schools and rural areas, or take the Find My Fit quiz.

Sources

Facts in this article were last reviewed against these sources on . Programs change their dates and prices; confirm on the official page before you apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to live in a state to join its programs?

Often, yes. COSMOS is open only to California high school students, Nevada Poetry Out Loud is for Nevada students in grades 9-12, and state page programs and Governor's Schools are generally for their own residents. Some state-university programs take a few outsiders: the University of Florida's Student Science Training Program sets aside a limited number of spots for students from non-Florida high schools.

How do I get to my state science fair?

Usually through a regional or county fair first. The California Science and Engineering Fair's students qualify through affiliated county and multi-county regional fairs, and the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair says students qualify by competing at one of Georgia's regional fairs. Ask your science teacher which fair your school feeds into, and see our science fair guide for the rules to follow before you start experimenting.

How do I enter Poetry Out Loud?

Through your school or an organization, which registers with your state arts agency. Competition starts in classrooms and schools, and winners advance toward the state final. In Delaware, schools and organizations can register through October 30, 2026, and Montana's schools register by December 1. Ask an English teacher to sign your school up if it isn't already participating.

What if my state page lists only a few programs?

A state page shows programs located in that state, but many programs are open to students anywhere. Look at online programs and at national contests with state rounds, like National History Day, Poetry Out Loud and science fairs, which reach students in every state. Your school counselor, state arts agency, state legislature and county Extension office are also worth asking.

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