Engineering and innovation help us solve challenges we see every day. ORISE (Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education) invites all K–12 students to develop an engineering solution to a real-world problem and pitch their idea using clear STEM reasoning.
Students in any schooling situation—public, private, or homeschool—in the US, US territory, or DoDEA school can participate in this STEM solutions competition. Students’ mission is to identify a problem, design a solution, and create a short pitch that explains both their idea and the STEM concepts behind how their solution works. Students should follow the competition’s instructions for their grade level to get started.
Students at K–2 can use the free downloadable worksheet to draw and write about a problem they see at home, at school, or in their community. A downloadable rubric indicates the scoring criteria for this grade band.
Students at grades 3–12 should create an original presentation that includes the problem they identified, their engineered solution, a STEM‑based explanation of how and why their idea works, and a short pitch component communicating the value and impact of their solution. They can choose one of the following formats for their presentation: video of up to 90 seconds, one-page poster or infographic, slide presentation with five or fewer slides. Students at these grades can also review the rubric that will be used to score their projects.
Two prizes will be awarded per grade band (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12). Each winner will receive a Back-to-School STEM Kit, which is described in detail on the competition’s website.
The deadline for submissions is on or before 11:59 p.m. (ET), Friday, August 14, 2026.