Science fair goes global after three years in the U.S.

Festival launches to attract young scientists

In 2023, the National STEM Challenge launched with a goal of attracting students to technical fields, including those who wouldn't have seen themselves as traditional science types.

Three years of U.S. gatherings in Washington

Roughly three years later, the event, now known as the National STEM Festival, has drawn students from across the country to present innovative projects at its annual gathering in Washington, D.C.

Explr runs the festival and connects students

The festival, run by educational media company Explr, has provided connections with business leaders and public officials for students exploring science careers and how to develop their projects further.

Cofounders Byron and Buccos lead expansion

Kari Byron, who cofounded Explr and is a former cast member of TV's MythBusters, and Jenny Buccos, Explr cofounder and CEO, are now planning international expansion.

U.K. festival planned for May 2027

An inaugural United Kingdom festival is slated for May 2027, open to students aged thirteen to nineteen from England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland who apply by November twenty-two.

Forty U.K. students will present at London event

Up to forty students will be chosen to present their work at the festival in London. Travel and accommodations will be paid to make STEM fields accessible to people from varied communities and backgrounds.

House of Lords hosts U.K. event

One of the U.K. events will take place at the House of Lords, mirroring how the U.S. festival features federal government participation and giving students access to potential mentors and supporters.

“Very much like the U.S. has federal government participation, one of our events is taking place at the House of Lords.”

U.S. projects range from recycling to pharmacy

In the U.S. festival, students have presented projects ranging from a machine to recycle waste plastic into three D printing filament to a pill-counting app for pharmacies with limited resources.

AI featured in forty-two percent of 2026 projects

In the two thousand twenty-six festival held in June, about forty-two percent of projects involved artificial intelligence to some degree, though only about thirteen point six percent were primarily focused on AI and machine learning.

Students solving real problems, not following trends

The data suggests students aren't simply following the latest trends. Jenny Buccos says the projects increasingly show what young people believe is worth solving.

“The projects are increasingly showing us what young people believe is worth solving.”

Expansion continues beyond the U.K.

After success in the United States, the National STEM Festival is expanding internationally with events planned for the United Kingdom and Mexico, broadening access to STEM opportunities globally.