That's the Pele effect.

Established in 2018, The 2025 High School honors the Best in Design and Advertising for creative work done from January 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025.

The Pele Awards has been around for 40 plus years. The High School Pele Awards was established in 2018, to recognize and reward Creative Excellence in the art of Advertising and Design. Presenting Sponsor NMG Network & Eleven 17 Creative will present a $500 cash scholarship to the 2025 Best of Show High School winner. Pele Gold Sponsor will present a $10,000 a year, 4 year scholarship to Chaminade University of Honolulu. Last year, we had almost 700 entries from Hawaiʻi High Schools statewide with 34% of the entries being honored with either a Pele Gold, Silver or a Bronze Award.

The Final Online Entry deadline submission date is: Saturday, March 1, 2025, 11:59pm HST.

So join us by entering this year's 2025 High School Pele Awards competition. Share your finds of Pele-shaped objects in the wild by posting and tagging #PeleAwards. When you're Pele-obsessed, those iconic triangles pop up everywhere. Hash Tag for find a Pele.

• Entrants must be enrolled in Grades 9 through 12 in a full or part-time accredited Hawaii U.S. educational institution for Public and Private Schools. Home schooled students are also eligible.
• All worked entered into the competition must have been created between between January 1, 2024 and February 28, 2025
• Work may be developed specifically for this competition or submitted from previous class and or other school projects or competitions.
• Group and/or individual work are eligible.
• Work must be created while a student is enrolled in an accredited Hawaii U.S. educational institution for either Public, Private and/or Home schooled students.
• Recent Graduates are eligible to enter as long as the entry was created while a student during the academic school year to 2024-25 school year.
• All entries must be done solely by the student entrant(s) without no assistance from any tools such as to artificial intelligence, etc.
• It's the desire of the High School Pele Awards committee that all entrants have the same resources to work off of. Thus, should an entrant need any music and or images to complete their entry, we ask that they use “royalty free music and images.”
• See appendix for suggested resources.
• Entrants can use existing or spec (make believe) companies.
• All entrants must follow safe and legal practices while producing their entry, especially any Film, Video & Sound categories #H12 to H18; and Misc. Projects #H19.
• All entries must be uploaded
• Any entries that don't adhere to guidelines and rules are subject to entry disqualification without prior notice and refund.
• $5 per entry. Payment via Cash, Check, Credit Card and/or School Purchase Orders. Depending on your method of payment, you MAY need to print out the confirmation email, fill out any required documents and drop off or mail w/payment as noted.

• Category H16—Music Videos – out for this year. Being reviewed and re-evaluated.
• Call for Entry Period – NOW to March 1, 2025
• All entries must be entered and uploaded (no exceptions) for each category, separately
• 100% Online Submission – no entry envelopes or hard copy entry submissions
• PDF UPLOADS ONLY (10 MB FILE SIZE MAX) for the following categories:
  • Collateral, Publication Design, Direct Marketing, Poster, Online/Interactive, Illustration, Photography, Misc. Projects categories
  • Multiple Pages accepted on one Upload.
• MP4 UPLOADS or Website links and/or YouTube link (100 MB FILE SIZE MAX) for the following categories:
  • Film, Video & Sound and Misc. Projects categories = mp4. Videos may be uploaded on YouTube.
• Online Electronic Signature from Student Entrant(s) & Parent or Guardian.
• No Student Data will be needed or collected.
• Email Acknowledgment once entry has been submitted.
• Cost per Entry: $5.
  • Entry fees accepted via cash, check (make payable to: AAF District 13), credit card or School Purchase order – deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025 – 4pm HST and include copy of your entry form:
    • The Pele Awards, PO Box 30969, Honolulu, Hawaii 96820
    • OR HonBlue, 501 Sumner St. #3B1, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
    • OR State of Hawaii
      Dept. of Education
      Career Technical Education Dept.
      475 22nd Ave., Room 217
      Honolulu, HI 96816
• Judging will be done virtually and reviewed Online.
• In the best interest of the entrant, The Pele Awards Committee and/or the 2025 Judges have the right to recategorize any entry submission without prior notice or permission from the entrant.