STUDENT CHALLENGES

The Pennsylvania Keystone STEM Competition is a free, one-day statewide challenge open to students in grades 5–12. Modeled after a STEM-a-thon, it invites teams of up to five students to tackle a real-world problem, design an innovative solution, and present their ideas to judges drawn from industry, education, and the community. Each team applies design thinking and problem-solving to develop a creative solution that showcases the ingenuity and teamwork required to solve complex real-world challenges. The Keystone STEM Competition welcomes participation from all Pennsylvania schools—public, charter, private, and career-technical. Teams compete within grade bands (5–6, 7–8, and 9–12). No preparation is required, just bring your curiosity, collaboration, and ideas! Visit the official competition site to learn more about your regional event and how to register. 

The 2026 Global Design Challenge is Here! This year's challenge, "Lights for Us, Darkness for Them: Engineers Protect the Night," invites students around the world to tackle a real-world engineering problem involving outdoor lighting and owl habitat conservation. Students will design, build, and test solutions that balance human needs with environmental responsibility while applying engineering design, critical thinking, and STEM skills. Students can compete in an Elementary or Secondary division. The deadline to submit is Tuesday, December 15, 2026.

STEM Next invites all out-of-school time programs that serve youth in grades 9-12, to develop innovative projects addressing real-world challenges using AI. Youth identify a local or global issue they care about, then use AI to research the issue, explore ideas, and strengthen their proposed solution. Winning individuals or teams win up to $5,000 for their programs. Submission deadline is November 19, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST. Learn more and sign up to get started here.