ExploraVision Awards

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 to 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 coach will sponsor and lead his/her students as they work in groups of 2 – 4 to simulate real research and development. A coach 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 students must meet the following requirements:

• Students must reside in the United States, Canada, U.S. Territories, or attend a Department of War Education Activity (DoWEA) school abroad; and must be enrolled in grades K-12 on a full-time basis as defined by their school or educational program, in a public, private, parochial, virtual, or home school; are eligible to participate in the competition. Only teams that meet eligibility requirements that all students are U.S. or Canadian citizens are eligible to advance as regional or national winners and to receive any associated prizes, travel, awards, recognition, or monetary benefits. Verification of team eligibility will occur prior to regional advancement in the competition.
• Students must be no older than 21 years of age.
• National Science Teaching Association employees, NSTA board members, ExploraVision judges and their respective families are not eligible to enter the competition.
• Any student who was 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).
• Students may only submit one project per year. However, each teacher/coach can participate in multiple projects per year.

All coaches must meet the following rules:

• A coach must be at least 21 years of age.
• Coaches may be one of the following: a teacher, coach, counselor, leader in a youth organization, or parent/guardian.
• A coach must know at least one student on the team.
• A coach cannot be a judge in the same competition year.

All projects must meet the following rules:

• Any project that has won at ExploraVision’s regional and/or national level may not be resubmitted in future years.
• Any project previously awarded a prize in another competition may not be submitted.
• AI and the tool ChatGPT may be used to brainstorm and/or research your project ideas. These should be used as a tool, but not as the only resource for your project. Any information generated by these resources must be included in the bibliography with the proper citations from the original resources.
• ExploraVision submissions must adhere to the AI policy. Access the AI Acceptable Use Chart for examples.