EXPLR ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER NATIONAL STEM CHALLENGE

Top-scoring participants will be recognized at the National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C., co-presented by the U.S. Department of Education and EXPLR.

EXPLR is founded by Jenny Buccos and co-founded by Kari Byron (former Discovery Channel Mythbuster) and Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods)

NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, EXPLR announces the 2024 National STEM Challenge, a first-ever nationwide initiative to foster creativity, critical thinking, and a passion for STEM subjects among middle and high school students. The Challenge invites students in grades 6-12 from across the U.S. and its territories to conceive and submit STEM innovations, inventions, and research.

EXPLR's top-scoring STEM Champions from all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Department of Defense schools, Bureau of Indian Education schools, and non-public schools, 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.

EXPLR is collaborating with schools, educational institutions, student-serving organizations, STEM communicators, and businesses on local, state, and national levels to engage students nationwide and encourage participation in this challenge, especially among students historically underrepresented in STEM.

Today's students will be tomorrow's innovators, and research has clearly established the value of broadly diverse STEM workforces. However, many student groups remain underexposed to and under-enrolled in STEM education, a fact reflected in nationwide STEM employment numbers. Underrepresented racial and ethnic groups comprise 27 percent of the population but comprise only 11 percent of the STEM workforce, and though women make up half the population, they comprise less than 30 percent of the STEM workforce.

"The Challenge, the Festival in Washington D.C., and EXPLR's ongoing digital programming represent our efforts to eliminate barriers and offer equal opportunities for all students to excel in STEM fields," said EXPLR CEO & Founder Jenny Buccos.

Challenge participants in grades 6-12 will use the scientific method to develop STEM projects that strive to make a tangible real-world impact and create positive change for people and the planet. Entries will be accepted in six categories: Environmental Stewardship, Future Food, Health and Medicine, Powering the Planet, Space Innovation, and Tech for Good.

EXPLR invites students to build, create, test, and experiment between now and October 4, 2023. Student submissions will be accepted from October 4 through November 12, 2023. For more information about the National STEM Festival, including submission guidelines, visit: www.nationalstemchallenge.com 

For media and interview requests, please contact Skai Blue Media at [email protected]

ABOUT EXPLR

EXPLR's mission is to help kids thrive in school and life by providing real-world, rigorous, and relevant educational resources. EXPLR is a streaming video and curriculum service for grade 5-12 students, teachers, and families that helps bridge critical gaps in K-12 education. It was co-founded by leading education and entertainment figures Jenny Buccos (founder of ProjectExplorer), Kari Byron (former Discovery Channel Mythbuster), and Andrew Zimmern (TV personality, producer, and U.N. World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador). Since launching in 2021, EXPLR has been used in over 500 schools across 23 US states.

Visit EXPLR.com 

SOURCE EXPLR