National STEM Challenge Open for Submissions (Grades 6-12)

The National STEM Challenge from the US Department of Education and EXPLR is now open for submissions for students in grades 6-12 in the U.S. and its territories. The challenge is an opportunity for students to embrace their inner scientist, engineer, tech enthusiast, or math whiz, and make a meaningful impact on our planet through the power of STEM (more details). 200 National STEM Champions will have travel and accommodation expenses covered to attend the National STEM Festival on April 12-13th, 2024 in Washington, DC.

Your mission? Craft a STEM project that tackles a real-world challenge. Choose from one of the themes and use the scientific method or engineering design process. The 2024 National STEM Challenge themes include:

• Environmental Stewardship
• Future Foods
• Health and Medicine
• Powering the Planet
• Aerospace
• Tech for Good

EXPLR’s top-scoring STEM Champions will be invited to be recognized at the National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C., in April 2024. The Festival is co-presented by the U.S. Department of Education and EXPLR.

The project submission deadline is Nov. 12, 2023 via the official website. Create a PDF presentation about your project, keeping it to 3 pages maximum with a minimum of 12-point font. You may include text and images to explain your ideas, but no faces or names in your PDF. Your project should be tested (if using the scientific method) or constructed (physically or digitally if using the engineering design process).

The National STEM Challenge is also seeking volunteers to serve as a National STEM Challenge remote project reviewer (apply here).

EXPLR Home and EXPLR Classroom include videos from some of the most trusted and awarded brands in educational media including OSCAR short-listed films and series from Parents’ Choice Award and EMMY Award winners and nominees. Both services address the serious need for a relevant, standards-aligned learning experience. EXPLR was co-founded by Jenny Buccos and Kari Byron (former MythBusters star).