Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition: Student Class
Students have a unique and innovative way of looking at the world, which makes them well-qualified to offer creative solutions to design challenges. Think beyond the ordinary to come up with new, innovative, and resourceful ways to use extruded aluminum!
Call for Entries
Entry Due Date: March 25, 2025
Individual and/or team entries from students around the world will be accepted through the entry due date. Students currently enrolled in high school, university, community college, trade, technical or design school are eligible to enter one or more designs. For more information download the Call for Entries brochure and Entry Form.
Scholarships totaling $15,500 will be presented as cash awards to the best student designs submitted. Winning entries will be awarded in the following amounts:
- First Place: $5,000
- Second Place: $4,000
- Third Place: $3,000
- Sustainable Design: $3,500
- PLUS - One Grand Prize of $3,500 Awarded across all categories and classes!
The Sustainable Design Award
Your only limit is your imagination! A $3,500 Student Scholarship Award is available to the student design that best addresses societal and/or environmental challenges or concerns, in addition to the four basic Design Competition judging criteria. The entry must be a viable, extrusion-based product that meets the sustainability demands for the environment while contributing to the quality of life for the intended users. Often a student’s own situation or experiences contribute to product design ideas for this category. Past entries for the Sustainable Design Challenge Award have included:
- Soil Erosion Control System
- Water Purification System
- Refugee or temporary housing
- Portable Medical Isolation Unit
- Portable Cart/Bed for Refugees
- Space-saving Greenhouse
- Hydroponic Gardening System
Eligibility Tips for a Winning Design
To ensure your best chance of winning an award in the 2025 Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition, it is highly recommended that you conduct research and consider these tips prior to beginning your project:
Visit AEC.org to review the wealth of information about aluminum extrusions and the process.
Download/read "Designing to the Limit of Your Imagination" Educational Presentation PDF in the Design Competition/For Students section.
Visit the AEC YouTube channel to view educational design webinars.
Demonstrate the knowledge gained from viewing the educational information noted above was carefully incorporated into your design.
Size matters. See the shaded circle on this page to ensure your shape fits within the 10-inch circle (no larger); if your profile doesn't fit within this circle size, you won't win.
Presentation is important. A winning design will demonstrate an innovative product made with extrusions, and the use of an innovative extrusion design. Spelling and grammar counts!
Extra consideration will be given to entries that supply a 3-D printed sample or other forms of prototyping of your profile.
Do your research: is your design idea new, or has it been done before? Have you considered the market and performed research to support your product development?
Provide a variety of supporting materials (a video, explanation, drawings, model, slide presentation, etc.) Include as much as possible to explain and demonstrate your design and why it should win.
Be certain that your entry adequately addresses all four judging criteria and is supported in your presentation materials.