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What Is a Coed Pageant?
A coed pageant is a pageant for young girls and woman typically ranging from ages 3 to 22. While many pageants have bathing suit scores that tend to focus on physical appearance, coed pageants eliminate this category to focus more on the natural inner beauty of contestants. Some parents prefer that their daughters enter this type of pageant, because it does not require contestants to wear a lot of makeup. Among the incentives of a coed pageant is the participants' ability to win scholarship money to help pay for their college educations.
Competitions are held at both the state and national level. Contestants are typically split up by age group to compete. The youngest division allows girls ages 6 and under to compete and is often known as the princess division. There are several competition levels for older children and teen contestants. The oldest age division, made up of college-age women, is known as the coed division.
Young coed pageant contestants who are ages 12 and under are not allowed to wear makeup to compete. Older girls are encouraged to use only a small amount of makeup. Coed pageant competitors typically do not enhance their appearance using fake eyelashes, hair extensions or veneers.
The world of coed pageants strives to help young ladies excel academically. Many coed pageant contestants have high academic averages in school and are on the honor roll. Contestants with slightly lower grades usually excel in other areas, such as volunteering, sports or music. Girls of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to compete in coed pageants, and coed pageant participants of various heights, weights and nationalities all stand an equal chance of receiving a crown.
Girls who participate in a coed pageant need to provide their own business outfit and gown. Young ladies in the pageants are judged on evening wear and interviews. There also is an optional talent competition that girls can enter.
The term "coed pageant" may confuse some people who expect there to be young men in the competition, as well. The name of the pageant dates back to the early 1980s, when only college-age girls were allowed to enter the competition, hence the word "coed". Over the years, the natural beauty pageant circuit started to allow girls in their teens and younger to enter, but the original name stuck. As of 2011, this type of pageant is still strictly for female contestants.
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![Among the incentives of a coed pageant is the participants' ability to win scholarship money to help pay for their college educations.]()
By: apopsAmong the incentives of a coed pageant is the participants' ability to win scholarship money to help pay for their college educations. -
![Cooed pageants tend to focus more on the inner beauty of contestants.]()
By: WavebreakmediaMicroCooed pageants tend to focus more on the inner beauty of contestants. -
![A coed pageant may consist of young girls ranging from ages 3 to 22.]()
By: mickysoA coed pageant may consist of young girls ranging from ages 3 to 22.
Discussion Comments
Coed pageants are awesome. They give kids scholarships and cool prizes. And the kids don't have to wear makeup or inappropriate clothes while competing. They can just be themselves and they aren't judged based on their beauty, height or weight. That's how pageants should be.
There was a show on TV recently about child beauty pageants where makeup and even fake teeth are required for children. It's unbelievable that some parents would put their child through that. It makes children mature too fast and it makes them obsessed with beauty.
@ddljohn-- Yes, there is one winner for each age group. Naturally, a seventeen year old can't compete with a six year old.
My seven year old daughter took part in a coed pageant last year. She got second place in her age group. She wanted to enter because her friend was entering. I'm not too fond of beauty pageants, especially for children, but this was not too bad. I didn't put any pressure on my child so we had a lot of fun and she made new friends too.
Before reading the article, I too thought that this was a competition where boys and girls compete against one another. But that wouldn't make sense because it wouldn't be fair.
In coed pageants, girls only compete within their age group right? So are there multiple winners -- one for each age group?
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