ExploraVision Awards

Since its inception in 1992, more than 450,000 students from across the United States and Canada have participated in Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision. It's a fun and engaging program that can inspire a lifelong love of science, technology and innovation for students and teachers alike.

What is ExploraVision?

The ExploraVision competition for K-12 students engages the next generation in real world problem solving with a strong emphasis on STEM. ExploraVision challenges students envision and communicate new technology 10 or more years in the future through collaborative brainstorming and research of current science and technology.

ExploraVision is a science competition that goes beyond the typical student science competition and into what it takes to bring ideas to reality. A teacher will sponsor and lead his/her students as they work in groups of 2 – 4 to simulate real research and development. A teacher will guide his or her students as they pick a current technology, research it, envision what it might look like in 10 or more years, and describe the development steps, pros & cons, and obstacles. Past winners have envisioned technologies ranging from a hand-held food allergen detector to a new device to help people who have lost limbs regain movement in real time.

Eligibility

All projects must meet the following requirements:

• All entrants must be United States or Canadian citizens and living within the United States, U.S. Territories or Canada and enrolled full-time in a public, private or home school
• Students must be no older than 21 years of age
• National Science Teachers Association employees, NSTA board members, ExploraVision judges and their respective families are not eligible to enter the competition
• Any project that has won at ExploraVision’s regional and/or national levels may not be re-submitted in future years
• Any project previously awarded a prize in another competition may not be submitted
• Any student who was selected as a regional or national finalist in ExploraVision can only compete in subsequent years with a new team — i.e., with students who have not previously been selected as ExploraVision regional or national finalists
• Students enter as a team of 2-4 students with a teacher/coach and optional mentor (no individual entries)

Categories

Each category will be judged separately, based on the abilities of students in those grades.  ExploraVision has four categories:

• Primary Level (Grades K – 3)
• Upper Elementary Level (Grades 4 – 6)
• Middle Level (Grades 7 – 9)
• High School Level (Grades 10 – 12)