Whether you would like to pursue a career in computer science, want to learn more about programming, or simply want to put your skills to the test, you should check out these competitions:

• Technovation Challenge
  Focused on offering opportunities to girls, this challenge calls girls around the world to identify an issue in their community and create a mobile app and a business plan to launch the app the address the issue.
  
• American Computer Science League
  The ACSL helps organize computer science competitions around the world. Contests are available for students in elementary school through high school.
  
• USA Computing Olympiad
  The USA Computing Olympiad holds around six training competitions per year and top finishing students are are invited to further improve their skills at a summer camp.
  
• Hackathons
  A hackathon is a great way to improve your computer skills through competition and collaborative computer programing. While many hackathons are traditionally meant for college students, there are likely local events near you that will allow high schoolers to attend. 

• Google Code-In
  Open for students ages 13-17, this contest is great for individuals beginners to computer science. The competition is designed to introduce students to open source software development.
  
• HP CodeWars
  CodeWars is a computer-programming competition for high school students. To enter individuals simply need to make a team and have a teacher sponsor. Competitions are held around the world.
• High School Computer Competition
  Affiliated with BPDA, the High School Computer Competition is designed for students grades 9-12. Local BPDA chapters send three to five students to compete against other teams at a national competition.
• North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad
  The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad is a contest in which high-school students solve linguistic puzzles. In solving these puzzles, students learn about the diversity and consistency of language, while exercising logic skills.
• Cybersecurity Awareness Games (CSAW) High School Forensics Challenge
  For students who are already interested in cyber security and hacking, this competition provides a fun opportunity to hone skills and gain experience. For students with no prior interest/experience in cyber security and digital forensics, HSF helps increase awareness of educational opportunities and career paths in this dynamic field.