Love science, art and creativity?
Enter ANSTO’s Elements of the 21st Century competition! Explore the amazing world of chemical elements, choose your favourite, and create an artwork showing how it is used in our everyday lives.
Submit your entry for the chance to win a fantastic prize and have your work featured in ANSTO’s digital gallery.
Need some inspiration? Explore our gallery of past winning entries and discover the creativity of previous participants.
What is the Elements in the 21st Century competition?
From smartphones and solar panels to medicine and space exploration, chemical elements are at the heart of the technologies we rely on every day.
In the Elements in the 21st Century, students choose an element and create a unique periodic table tile that showcases one of its modern applications. Combining research, science, and creativity, students discover how elements help drive innovation and shape the world around us.
Choose an element. Get creative. Share its story.
How it works
- Choose your favourite element.
- Research the important uses of your element in the 21st century. There are some suggested resources below to help you
- Download the template (individual or school) and print it out on paper or card.
- Get creative! Create a periodic table square 'tile' for your chosen element. Bring your element to life through art and demonstrate how it is used in the modern world. There will be a hand-drawn category and a digital category.
- Write a short paragraph about a modern use of your chosen element.
- Submit your entry!
Important dates
Competition opens: Monday 28 September 2026
Competition closes: Friday 20 November 2026
Winners announced: Monday 7 December 2026
Prizes
Winning entries will receive a periodic table themed prize pack. Prizes will be awarded separately for hand-drawn and digital artworks.
Entry information
Who can enter?
Primary and high school students, from all grades across Australia are invited to enter. This fun creative activity can be completed at home or at school. Teachers are also invited to enter their classes or individual students.
How to enter
For individual entries: Once you have completed your artwork, take a high-quality photograph or scan of your entry. Upload this file to the online entry form (individual). In your form, you will need to include your paragraph (either into the form itself or by taking a photo of your written paragraph).
For teachers: Take a photo or scan of both sides of your students' element tile template. Arrange the images into a document so that each student's artwork page is followed by their entry details and paragraph page before the next student's submission begins. Fill out the teacher entry form and upload these files at the end of the form. The file limit for each file is 10MB, and the limit of number of files is 10, so the form can accept a total of 1GB of files. If your files exceed this limit, please submit another teacher entry form.
Entry requirements
- Your artwork can be hand-drawn on paper or cardboard OR created digitally using computer software. We will also accept two-dimensional collage-style artworks. Hand-drawn artworks will be judged separately to digital artworks.
- You can use the template provided and print off OR create your own 18cm x 18cm square on a piece of A4 paper or card.
- The design must be constrained to a 18cm x 18cm square.
You must show the element name, the symbol (the ‘short name’ with 1-2 letters) and your artwork, showing the element’s use in our modern world. Also include the ‘atomic number’ of the element – this is the whole number shown above the name and symbol of each element on the periodic table.
Ready to take part?
Print off the template and let your creativity go free!
Templates | Entry forms |
Additional Resources
ANSTO Games | Nuclear Apps | ANSTO
The Beginner's Guide To The Periodic Table Of Elements (matrix.edu.au)
Periodic table | Definition, Elements, Groups, Charges, Trends, & Facts | Britannica
What are elements in science? KS3 guide for chemistry students - BBC Bitesize
Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements, in Pictures and Words
Terms & Conditions
Entries are due by midnight AEST on Friday 20th November, 2026.
Only one entry from each student is allowed.
The entry must be created entirely by the student.
Artworks must be created on paper or thin card measuring 18cm x 18cm. No other sizes are allowed.
Artworks must be created by hand using pencils, marker pens, textas, paint or other drawing mediums. Two-dimensional collage style artworks will be accepted using paper, cardboard and scrap materials. Artworks can also be created with digital drawing software or generative AI. There will be separate categories for hand-drawn and digital artworks. Three-dimensional (3D) artworks will not be accepted.
Winners will be announced on the ANSTO website Monday 7th December 2026. All winners (and winning teachers) will also be notified by email.
ANSTO reserves the right to announce the first names of all winning students and their age categories on the ANSTO website and on social media channels.
ANSTO reserves the right to display images (digital assets) from the winning entries on the ANSTO website and social media channels, as well as provide these digital assets to local media outlets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the competition free?
Yes, the competition is free for students to enter and submit their work.
How many entries can I submit?
There is a limit of one entry per student.
What can I use to create my artwork?
Download either the individual (PDF, 129.04 KB) or school (PDF, 135.56 KB) template and print off onto A4 paper or card.
You can create your artwork by hand using pencils, marker pens, textas, paint or other drawing materials. Two-dimensional collage-style artworks are also welcome and can be made using paper, cardboard or scrap materials. If you prefer, you can create your artwork using digital drawing software or generative AI.
Hand drawn artworks will be judged in a separate category to digital artworks.
How should I upload my artwork?
For individuals: Take a photo or scan of your artwork. Fill out the entry form, including your one paragraph description of one of the modern uses of your element, and upload your artwork file to the form.
For teachers: Take a photo or scan of both sides of your students' element tile template. If you can, put these together into up to 10 files. Fill out the teacher entry form and upload these files at the end of the form. The file limit for each file is 10MB and the form can accept a total of 1GB of files. If your files exceed this limit, please submit another teacher entry form.
Do you have a question?
Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the Elements in the 21st Century competition.
