Contest

blank

Welcome! To compete, your school needs a unique password to receive the contest materials.

Teachers/Admins — Please book a short meeting to receive the password. PLUS, we will give you access to Rubin’s popular Emerge employability skills curriculum (600+ instructional items).

Students do not register, only teachers/admins.

Watch a video of our 2023 contest winner!

Update 1/6/25:

America’s Next Great Intern contest is open for registration!

Get ready to compete for a $1,000 scholarship!

See all contest information below. Email support@rubineducation.com with any questions.


Contest overview: Rubin, the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills, will stage the fourth-annual America’s Next Great Intern contest in winter/spring 2026.

The contest is 100% free. All participating students receive a certificate of completion and a ready-made portfolio of their submitted contest materials.


1st place wins a $1,000 scholarship!

blank

Past Champions

blank
2023 Champion
Bezawit Abate, Prince William County Schools
Dumfries, Virginia
blank
2024 Champion
Gracie Gustafson, Boone Community School District
Boone, Iowa
blank
2025 Champion
Rakshana Damodaran, Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County, Virginia

Important Dates

  • Tuesday, January 6, 2026: Contest registration opens!
  • Monday, February 2, 2026: To coincide with National CTE Month in February, Rubin launches America’s Next Great Intern contest and opens for student submissions. Teachers can register their classes throughout the submission period.
  • Friday, March 6, 2026: The student submission period closes.
  • Thursday, March 12, 2026: Rubin unveils national student finalists and starts the public voting process via RubinEducation.com.
  • Friday, April 10, 2026: The public voting period closes.
  • Wednesday, April 15, 2026: Rubin reveals America’s Next Great Intern.

In 2026, Practice with Propel

blank

As part of the contest, students will use our Propel email etiquette training tool for the email writing portion of the contest.

Download the contest flyer

blank

Rubin is a Proud Member of the Association for Career and Technical Education

blank

Follow us for contest updates and announcements!

The free contest is open to middle school, high school and post-secondary students in any CTE or project-based (hands-on) class or program.

The Rubin team, in coordination with industry professionals, will determine the national finalists after a review of all submissions.

The public will then vote on the finalists, and the students from grades 9-12 and post-secondary programs with the highest vote total after the voting period will win 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Rubin will also announce “Up and Coming” winners from grades 6-8.

All students who enter will receive a certificate of participation and a portfolio that displays the work they submitted for the contest!

blank
Bezawit Abate (center, white shoes), is surrounded by school admin and elected officials from Prince William County in Northern Virginia. Bezawit took first place in the 2023 America’s Next Great Intern contest.