History

Miss Teen of America Pageant founder Mr. Warren Alexander

The Miss Teen of America Scholarship and Recognition Pageant was founded in 1983 by Mr. Warren Alexander, a former educator and pageant director, and designed to help America’s youth reach their full potential. The achievement based pageant recognizes young women for their outstanding personal achievements, leadership abilities, and artistic, creative or athletic talents. With no judging focused on physical appearance or expense wardrobe, the pageant strives to promote confidence and an Accent on Achievement. In 2017, the Miss Teen of America Organization rebranded as American Pageants to include additional age divisions: Little Miss of America (ages 7-9), Young Miss of America (ages 10-12), Junior Miss of America (ages 13-15), Miss Teen of America (ages 16-18) and Miss of America (19-25). In 2020, the program expanded to include Ms. of America (20+ any marital status, with or without kids) because we recognized that achievements go on throughout our lives. We should always continue to strive for excellence and should continue to be celebrated.

Today, the Miss Teen of America organization reigns under a new leadership team dedicated to preserving the essence and integrity of the past, however, with a fresh vision for the future. Former titleholders and participants will be honored for helping to build the solid foundation upon which many lives have and will be touched. As established leaders within their schools, current titleholders and participants will join us in the advancement of our developing partnership with Special Olympics. Together, we will focus on ensuring that social inclusion is the norm. Simply stated, the future is bright for the young women who will join us in the American Pageants experience!

Mission

The Mission of the American Pageants Organization is to encourage and motivate young women to reach their full potential through recognition of; scholastic record, service and achievement to school and community, personal development, general awareness, personality projection and communication skills.

Charitable Alliance

The American Pageants Organization is proud of our alliance with Special Olympics Minnesota. Focusing on ensuring that social inclusion is the norm, titleholders and candidates will join forces to promote Special Olympics programs including Project Unify, R-Word, and Young Athletes.

For more information on Special Olympics or to get involved in your community click here

Rules of Entry

Participants must be a resident of the United States and have a residence, attend school, or work in the state she is representing.

The date to determine your competition age division is the date of the final competition (tentatively July 2, 2024). Ages 7-9 will compete for the title of Little Miss of America. Ages 10-12 will compete for the title of Young Miss of America. Ages 13-15 will compete for the title of Junior Miss of America. Ages 16-18 will compete for the title of Miss Teen of America. Ages 18-25 will compete for the title of Miss of America. Ages 20 and up (married, divorced, widowed, or single with children) will compete for the title of Ms. of America.

Participants in age divisions Little, Young, Junior, Teen and Miss must never have been married, have had a marriage annulled, be pregnant or have children. Ms. contestants are allowed to be married, divorced, widowed, or single with children.

The participant who wins the state title will represent the state at the National Pageant.

In the event that a State Titleholder is disqualified or chooses to relinquish her title, another candidate can be chosen to compete at Nationals in her place.

State Titleholders must commit to continue to the next level of competition or forfeit her title and prize package.

By applying for a title, you automatically agree to the website and the Additional Terms of Entry which can be found here: Terms & Conditions

Testimonials

Past Titleholders

“Words can’t describe the blessing in being a part of the Miss Teen of America family! Friendships, purpose as well as plans for the future…they all come into focus…on the foundation of experiences with Miss Teen. I’m forever thankful.” Kiera Kinnaird, Young Miss of Texas 2007, Miss Teen of Texas 2012, Miss Teen of America 2013-2014

“DYA is such an amazing family to be a part of. It shows girls that no matter where you come from or how you look you are equally beautiful.”Brittany Lalonde, Little Miss of Texas 2007, Miss Teen of Texas 2013

“Not many times in our lives can we really cherish every second. This year I worked hard to accomplish all I could with this key you gave me… one that continues to open doors to future successes. I admire your continual efforts to shape dreams and change lives. Thanks a million for the opportunity to grow.” Pamela Ekroth, Miss Teen of South Dakota 1994

Past Candidates

“The Miss Teen of America Pageant proved to be an excellent experience for me. The past few months I have been interviewing with medical schools and Miss Teen was a common topic. Not only was it a major focus of my application essays, but it also led to very productive and enjoyable interviews where I had the opportunity to explain the impact it had on my life and future career as a physician. I have been accepted at three schools and am deciding between Rush Medical College and Southern Illinois University of Medicine. I just wanted to let you know how much my experience as Miss Teen of Illinois gave me an added advantage.” Diane Shirley, Past Candidate (Springfield, Illinois)

“Miss Teen of America has instilled in me a desire to succeed and persevere to not give up, and has introduced me to the most outstanding role models of my life.” Lisa Bebell, Past Candidate (Highlands Ranch, Colorado)

“I don’t know if you realize it or not, but you have completely change my life. Before, I was afraid to be myself. I did not believe in myself. I believed others were better. I did not listen to the news or communicate much with others because I was shy and did not think it was important. The biggest step I ever took was when I turned in that pageant application… I now hold my head high have discovered my own personality and have found that I have a naturally happy disposition. I learned that I was special, I was intelligent, my opinions were important and I need to explore my world.” Marsha Lyle, Past Candidate (Clewiston, Florida)

“To be honest, I have always been confident in my abilities. I expected to excel in college and I did, both in extra-curricular and academics. And I was very confident I would be offered a fine job upon completion of my college degree. I applied to the top three companies of my choosing. There were many applicants, but all three firms offered me employment. I was thrilled! However, I was absolutely elated when all three companies offered me, with no previous extensive job experience, far more than I had imagined possible. All three companies told me that the extraordinary offer was made because of my pageant involvement.” Maggie Lee, Past Candidate (Torrance, California)

“Through the Miss Teen of America Pageant I gained a great experience that helped me grow into the woman I am today.” Emily Hines, Oklahoma Merit Finalist 2008 (Marlow, Oklahoma)

“The staff was wonderful- they created a very cheerful environment. The judges were excellent and helped me to feel at ease for the rest of the weekend. Thanks a lot for a great new experience to mark another milestone in my life!” Crystal Johnson, Past Candidate (Gastonia, North Carolina)

“I really enjoyed my time at the pageant with the other candidates and the staff. The staff was always helpful and answered all of our questions. I feel privileged to have been able to participate in this pageant. You all did a great job!” Amber Brown, Past Candidate (Summerfield, North Carolina)

“This was a very positive experience for me. I enjoyed all of the activities, the staff was nice and I had the opportunity to make a lot of new friends.” Margaletta Smith, Past Candidate (Snow Hill, North Carolina)

Parents

“Thank you for providing a program that celebrates leadership, public service, and personal growth in our country’s young women.” Deidre Pool, Parent (Athens, Texas)

“This experience is one we will never forget. The staff was very professional at all times. The organization of the activities was great and the atmosphere was very friendly and family-like.” Sandy Burleson, Parent (Tohoka, Texas)

“We are very excited that LaTia got a chance to participate in the Distinguished Youth of Texas Program. This is a very good experience for her as well as her family. This will encourage the girls to keep up their good work. All the staff was wonderful. If we had a question, a staff member was always around to assist. All three days were planned out very well.” Miki McClenton, Parent (Bryan, Texas)

“We have been very pleased with the program. Everything has been very smooth and the staff have been wonderful. Thank you so much for all the hard work and for making our daughter feel special!” Misty Perez, Parent (Quinlan, Texas)

“We are so proud that our daughter was invited to participate in this event. We are not the type of people who do pageants, so we weren’t sure what to expect. We are really please that there is a program out there that recognizes young women for their hard work and not just their looks. Thank you for the opportunity.” Crystal Vega, Parent (Meridian, Texas)

“It has all been a positive experience for all of us. My daughter has thoroughly enjoyed herself! She quickly overcame any nervousness that she had and gained self-confidence. Thank you for creating such a fantastic program.” Georgia Gould, Parent (Jacksonville, Texas)

American Pageants