The submission deadline is Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET / 8:59 PM PT.

The 2026 US Edition is open to eligible students in grades 7–12 who are enrolled in US public, private, or home schools, including those in US territories and military schools abroad. You do not need to be a US citizen to participate, as long as you are enrolled in a US school.

Immediate family members of EXPLR employees are ineligible to participate.

For your submission, include:

Introduction: Briefly explain your topic, problem, or design challenge and its significance.

Materials and Methods/Design Process: List materials and describe either the experimental steps or the steps you took in the engineering design process, including brainstorming, prototyping, and testing.

Data Collection/Testing: Present your data or testing results in organized tables, charts, or diagrams, showing how your design or experiment performed.

Results/Final Design: Use graphs, images, or models to showcase your findings or the final design solution.

Discussion/Analysis: Interpret your results, discuss their meaning, or explain how your design evolved based on testing and analysis.

Conclusion: Summarize whether your hypothesis was supported or if your design effectively solved the problem or met the challenge.

Abstract, Hypothesis, and Bibliography/References are included in the application form and do not need to be included in your PDF.

If you presented at the 2024 or 2025 National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C., you are eligible for this year’s Festival.

Please note that submissions must be new, original projects and cannot be the same ones presented at previous festivals.

No, only one entry per student is allowed, and team entries are not permitted.

• Aerospace Innovation

• Environmental Stewardship

• Future Food

• Health & Medicine

• Power the Planet

• Tech for Good

• Project's potential for positive impact (50 points)

• Innovation, creativity, and originality (25 points)

• Clarity of presentation (25 points)

• Bonus points for students from Title 1 eligible schools (5 points)

Plan Your Script: Outline what you want to say and keep your script focused and avoid unnecessary details.

Engage Immediately: Start with a strong opening to grab attention, such as a compelling question or a brief statement of your project’s significance. This will help you make an impact quickly in a short time frame.

Be Concise: Focus on the most important points. Every second counts, so keep it brief and to the point.

Practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to ensure a smooth delivery. Consider doing a trial run and getting feedback from others before finalizing your submission. description

Up to 56 National Champions will win a trip to the National STEM Festival in Washington D.C., where they will showcase their projects. Special awards will also be given.

As the Festival grows, we’re refining our model to ensure greater impact and opportunity. In 2026, each U.S. state and territory will be represented by one outstanding student.

This allows us to:

• Increase rigor and prestige by making selection more competitive and meaningful

• Provide deeper support and visibility for each student at the Festival, including enhanced mentorship and media opportunities

• Expand access through our free Office Hours digital series, which now reaches over 2 million students with career-connected learning from real-world professionals

We will offer Special Awards and reserve the right to allocate additional winners from a state or territory at our discretion—for example, in cases where certain states do not have qualifying applicants or where additional representation aligns with our mission.

This approach helps us balance excellence with opportunity, expanding both the quality and reach of STEM learning and recognition.

Finalists will be notified via email, and parents or guardians will need to complete additional documentation.

The Festival is presented by EXPLR PBC Inc.