From spelling to STEM and from decathlons to historical deep dives, a new season of academic competitions is about to take shape, giving students opportunities to test their knowledge, sharpen their skills and engage with peers across Orange County.
Each year, the Orange County Department of Education supports or hosts a series of standards-based events spanning subjects such as literature, science, history and the performing arts.
Below is a guide to this year’s major competitions taking place from January through May.
January 24
Orange County Academic Decathlon, Day One. Founded by former Orange County Superintendent Dr. Robert Peterson in 1968, the Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic contest staged at the county, state and national levels. Participants will begin the communications portion of the event by presenting prepared and impromptu speeches and participating in personal interviews. ocde.us/Decathlon
January 31
Orange County Academic Decathlon, Day Two. Decathletes will take 30-minute tests in the subject areas of art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, science and social science. This second day of this competition also features the Super Quiz Relay, a high-energy contest that feels like a sporting event. ocde.us/Decathlon
February 4
Orange County Science & Engineering Fair. The 71st annual event in March welcomes middle and high school students to showcase their projects spanning 18 diverse categories, from applied mechanics to biochemistry. Esteemed judges from the science and research community will evaluate each entry. Feb. 4 is the deadline for project registration and Feb. 23 is the deadline to submit. ocsef.org/
February 14
Orange County Regional Science Olympiad Tournament. Science Olympiads are like academic track meets, with a series of STEM-related team events connected to disciplines including biology, Earth science, chemistry, physics, astronomy and engineering. This year’s event will be held at UC Irvine. ocde.us/educationalservices
February 23
Orange County Spelling Bee, written round. This first round includes the winners of school and district spelling bees throughout Orange County. The event will take place at OCDE, where students will write spelling words and answer vocabulary questions, which are also part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The top spellers from the written round advance to the final round the following Saturday. ocde.us/spellingbee
February 28
Orange County Spelling Bee, final round. One by one, students take turns stepping up to the podium to spell their given words over the course of several rounds. A winner is announced when all but one have been eliminated. The top speller will go on to represent Orange County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. ocde.us/spellingbee
February 28
Law Day Conference. The event will connect high school students, judges, attorneys and educators to discuss topics like family law, criminal law, voir dire, AI and intellectual property. Participants will engage with guest speakers on current issues, with past conferences covering privacy, juvenile justice, police confrontations and family law. crfoc.org/programs/law-day/
March 14
National History Day-OC. This countywide competition will take place at the Orange County Department of Education. National History Day draws about 600,000 U.S. participants each year with contests at the district, county, state and national levels. Working individually or in teams, students in grades four through 12 conduct extensive research and develop elaborate projects, including original websites, documentaries, podcasts, performances and exhibits. The 2026 theme is “Revolution, Reaction and Reform in History.” ocde.us/NHD
March 19 through 22
California Academic Decathlon. Winning teams from the Orange County competition will join top squads from across the state at this multi-day event in Santa Clara. academicdecathlon.org
April 10 through 13
Gallaudet University’s Battle of the Books. Sponsored by Gallaudet University, this contest was created in 2012 to boost literacy, encourage critical thinking and promote sportsmanship for middle schoolers who are deaf and hard of hearing. The finals are typically in the spring, following local preliminary rounds in November and playoffs in December. gallaudet.edu/youth-programs/battle-of-the-books
April 23 through 25
The United States Academic Decathlon. For Academic Decathlon competitors who advance beyond the state level, the national championships will be held in Garden Grove following a series of online tests earlier in the month. The theme for the 2026 competition is “The Roaring Twenties.” usad.org
April 25
Orange County Academic Pentathlon for grades seven and eight. This time it will be teams of seventh- and eighth-graders competing in the Academic Pentathlon, which will include a Super Quiz Relay event on April 25. ocde.us/Pentathlon
May 2
Orange County Academic Pentathlon for grade six. This time it will be teams of sixth-graders competing in the Academic Pentathlon, which will include a Super Quiz Relay event on May 10 at University High School in Irvine. ocde.us/Pentathlon
May 9
Orange County Elementary Science Olympiad. The Orange County Elementary Science Olympiad engages younger students in science- and engineering-themed activities designed to promote collaboration and problem-solving. This year’s event will take place at El Rancho Charter School in Anaheim. ocde.us/educationalservices
May 14 through 16
The United States Academic Pentathlon. This is a five-event scholastic competition for middle school students, will take place this year in Nashville, Tennessee. The program offers the benefits of Academic Decathlon while challenging participants through rigorous team and individual competition. usad.org/pentathlon.aspx
June 14 through 18
The National History Day National Contest. Just as county-level winners move on to state competitions, the state-level NHD winners advance to the national finals, which is typically held in June at the University of Maryland, College Park. nhd.org/national-contest