STEM Competitions for K-12 Educators Educator competitions increase students’ interest and excitement for STEM
ORISE is hosting two educator competitions this month. See below for more infomation and deadlines.
STEM Wonderland Activity Plan Competition
Deadline: on or before 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time, Friday, December 15th, 2023
Calling all teachers! Winter is quickly approaching, and the ORISE wants to see your student-led STEM activity plans that can be completed at home during the holiday breaks. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a student-led activity plan that incorporates a hands-on STEM activity! THREE teachers will be awarded an iPad and Raycon Earbuds.
Prizes include:
- iPad (10th generation) and accessories
- Apple Pencil
- Raycon Earbuds
Details:
- Interested educators are invited to submit an original activity plan to https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/STEMWonderland.aspx by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, December 15th, 2023.
- To avoid plagiarism, please submit an activity plan that you have written. We understand that many activities are developed by other teachers; just make sure that you put your own spin on the activity.
- Activity plan may focus on any topic as long as the activity plan relates to STEM and uses materials that can be found around students’ houses.
- Activity plans should include the following:
- Activity title
- Teacher name and school
- Target grade level
- Time required for activity
- Standards/objectives
- Materials required
- Central focus (similar to an abstract) about the activity
- Any background information teachers or students will need prior to the activity
- Instructional steps for activity
- Closing questions and answers about the activity
- Helpful photos of the activity are encouraged.
- Example of an activity plan: https://orise.orau.gov/resources/k12/documents/lesson-plans/eggshell-geodes.pdf
- Activity plans will be scored using a rubric, and winners will be announced late January!
- REMINDER: This is an activity plan, NOT a full-blown lesson plan! Please reference the rubric to know exactly what we are asking.
- Teachers must teach in the United States, a U.S. Territory, or a DoDEA school to be eligible to win.
- Teachers are eligible to win 2 ORISE competitions in a 12-month period.
Note: Activity plans submitted for the competition may be shared with other educators via the ORISE website. Plans are subject to revision and edits by ORISE staff before they are shared, so please submit in an editable format (Not PDF).
To view the current ORISE lesson plan library, visit https://orise.orau.gov/resources/k12/lesson-plans.html.
December Social Media Contest
Deadline: on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, Sunday, December 31st, 2023.
ATTENTION TEACHERS! This December, we want to see your classroom wish list! ORISE wants to hear about the must-have supplies that help you create a welcoming and effective learning environment for your students! To enter the contest, follow ORISE on social media, fill out this (very short) survey, and comment a list of supplies and how they help you in your classroom!
Prizes:
THREE randomly selected winners will receive the following prizes:
NEW YEAR’S SCHOOL SUPPLY BUNDLE:
- Bluetooth Projector
- Personal Laminator and Laminating Sheets
- PaperMate Flair Pens
- Post-it Notes
- White-Out Correction Tape
- Expo Markers
- Sharpie Highlighters
Details:
- The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, December 31st, 2023.
- Teachers must teach in the United States, a U.S. Territory, or a DoDEA school to be eligible to win.
- Teachers are eligible to win 2 ORISE competitions in a 12-month period.
If you have any questions, please contact STEMEd@orau.org.
Check back for more information.
Previous ORISE Educator Competitions and Winners
Teachers, now is the time to call students to action and teach them to make a difference in their classrooms, communities, and the world! ORISE wants to see how you incorporate STEM projects that make a positive impact on problems that affect our world into your lesson plans. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a STEM lesson plan. Examples of issues that may be addressed include food waste, the energy crisis, endangered species, etc. A lesson may allow students to identify their own issues in the community. THREE teachers who submit lesson plans will be selected to receive mini-grants up to $1,500 to help buy equipment for their classroom!
Winners:
$1,500.00 mini-grant: Ross R., Monroe Career & Technical Institute, PA
$1,000.00 mini-grant: Roy B., Twin Buttes Cyber Academy, NM
$500.00 mini-grant: George H., Richardson High School, TX
ATTENTION TEACHERS! Are you stuck in the back-to-school slump? Kick it with the Cricut! The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants to hear your ways to get yourself and your students back into the swing of things!
Winners:
- Jessica Minton, Houston High School, TN
- Jessica Noffsinger, STEM Lab, CO
- Rachael Teague, Campbell County High School, TN
Prizes:
THREE randomly selected winners will receive the following prizes:
CRICUT JOY BUNDLE:
- Cricut Joy Machine
- Premium Fine Point Blade + Housing
- Fine Point Pen
- StandardGrip Mat
- Joy Smart Permanent Vinyl Rolls
- Transfer Tape
- Joy Starter Tool Set
- Smart Materials eBook
- Cricut Carrying Case
Teachers! This summer, ORISE wants to see your best back-to-school STEM lesson plans. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a STEM lesson plan that includes back-to-school activities. THREE teachers who submit lesson plans will be selected to receive mini-grants up to $1,500 to help buy equipment for their classroom!
Winners:
- $1,500 mini-grant winner: Christiana Deeter, Canterbury School of Fort Myers, Fort Myer, FL
- $1,000 mini-grant winner: Michele Thomas, Sussex Technical High School, Georgetown, DE
- $500 mini-grant winner: Brittany Farris, Jacksboro Elementary School, Jacksboro, TN
This July we want to talk about technology. Technology has increasingly become an integral part of our day to day lives, including in the classroom! Throughout the month of July, we want to know how you incorporate technology into your classroom!
Winners:
- Claudia Bouchard, Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, CT
- Catherine Molder, Lake Pointe Elementary School, Weatherford, TX
- Anne Schoeffler, Seton Catholic School, Hudson, OH
Here at ORISE we love getting feedback from students and we would love to get feedback from our teachers! For this month’s social media competition, we want to know what kind of lesson plans you would like to see to fill our free lesson plan library!
Winners:
- Jennifer R., Knoxville High School, IL
- Marcy B., Main Street Intermediate School, OH
- Claudia B., Norwich Free Academy, CT
Prizes:
THREE randomly selected winners received the following prizes:
Back to School Supplies Bundle:
- 10 Drawer Cart
- Post-it Flip Charts
- Flip Chart Markers
- Paper Mate Flair Pens
- Black and Multicolored Expo Markers
- And more!
ATTENTION TEACHERS! Staying active is one of the key parts of living a healthy lifestyle, not only for you as educators, but for your students as well! As we are nearing the summer, ORISE wants to hear the different ways that you encourage your students to stay active and spend time outside!
Winners:
- Elizabeth E., Fontana USD, CA
- Lauren N., Mililani Uka Elementary, HI
- Wendy S., Powell High School, WY
Prizes:
THREE randomly selected winners will receive the following prizes:
Staying Active in the Great Outdoors Kit:
- Wise Owl Camping Hammock
- Canon Phone Mini Photo Printer Bundle
- Jumbo Insulated Cooler Bag
- Outdoor School Nature Guides
- ORISE Swag pack including an ORISE branded ceramic mug, tumbler, fanny pack, and more!
If you have any questions, please contact STEMEd@orau.org.
This March we would love to celebrate the lesser-known discoverers and trailblazers of the STEM fields. There are many remarkable experts who deserve recognition for their work yet are not widely included in K-12 education. Movies such as Hidden Figures or children’s books about Temple Grandin and Ray Montague demonstrate this. The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants to see how you incorporate largely unknown experts in the STEM fields and their discoveries into your lesson plans. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a STEM lesson plan that includes obscure contributors to a STEM field. THREE teachers who submit lesson plans will be selected to receive the prizes listed below!
Winners:
- Tiarra Baker, Farragut High School, TN
- Jamahl Peavey, Arlington High School, MA
- Abby Cornelius, Blue Valley North High School, KS
Prizes:
- iPad
- Apple pencil
- iPad accessories
- Sphero SPRK
- Sphero storage case
February is here and so is Random Acts of Kindness Day! The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants to challenge you and see how you incorporate kindness into your STEM lesson plans. We want to see how your lesson engages students in acts of kindness whether it be to one another or to their communities. An example of this would be to have students be kind by serving their community libraries or animal shelters! Get students pumped up for helping their communities and being compassionate to others. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a STEM lesson plan that includes kindness. THREE teachers who submit lesson plans will be selected to receive mini grants up to $1,500 to help buy equipment for their classroom!
Winners:
- Emily Fain-Lynch, Green Magnet Academy, TN
- Rachel Cahill Itle, Penn Mont Academy, PA
- Liliia Khmarskaia, JMB High School, MD
Prizes:
- Class set of 3D printer pens
- Storymatic cards
- Kindness stickers
- Kindness quote bracelets
- Felt letter board
Teachers! It’s not quite spring, but it’s still time to clean. Throughout the month of January, ORISE wants to know how you keep your classroom clean! What are quick and easy cleaning tips or strategies that you’ve found help keep your classroom clean? Even better, what are some ways you get students involved in helping clean your classroom?
Winners:
- Stacy Garofalo, P.O. 081, Robert J. Christen School, NY
- Kendra Edgell, Church Hill Middle School, TN
- Leslie Mohlman, Willowcreek Middle School, UT
Prizes:
THREE randomly selected teachers will receive the following prizes:
- iPad
- Plickers
- Cleaning Kit (medical gloves, foldable Swiffer, handheld vacuum)
There is a technological black out at your school! No computer, no projector, no copier—what now? National Cut Your Energy Day is this month and it is time to get back to the basics. ORISE wants to see your best lesson plan that requires little to no technology and includes saving energy in your classroom. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit an original STEM lesson plan that includes the topic of saving energy. THREE winners will receive mini-grants.
Winners:
- $1,500 mini-grant: Charles H., Sunbright School, TN
- $1,000 mini-grant: Brittany F., Jacksboro Elementary School, TN
- $500 mini-grant: Demvia M., New Mexico Military Institute, NM
Teachers! Need a pick me up this through this winter season? ORISE wants to help "keur" your winter teaching blues. Throughout the month of December, we want you to share your favorite strategies to keep yourself and your students engaged in the classroom as you return after winter break for a chance to win 1 of 3 “Keur-ing” the Winter Teaching Blues Kits!
Winners:
- Michelle C., Rockwood High School, TN
- Matthew L., Harrison High School, GA
- Rebecca R., Loudenslager Elementary School, NJ
Prizes:
THREE randomly selected winners will receive the following prizes:
“Keur-ing” the Winter Teaching Blues Kit:
- Keurig Machine, K-Cup Storage Drawer, and an ORISE ceramic mug!
- Rocketbook
- Document Camera
- Classroom Doorbell
Calling all teachers! As the holiday season approaches, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants your help to provide STEM activity plans for students that can be completed at home during the holidays. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a STEM activity plan that incorporates household items for an opportunity to win supplies to start or enhance your own classroom makerspace! THREE teachers will be awarded a fabulous classroom makerspace filled with maker tools and supplies!
Winners:
- Kole C., Lyons Middle School, KS
- Stacey N., St. Louis Priory School, MO
- Chelsea L., Elm Street Elementary School, GA
Prizes include:
- Ozobot Evo Coding Robots
- LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor
- Makerspace Tools and Supplies:
- Construction paper, Origami paper, Cardboard sheets, glue, hot glue gun, exacto knives, wire cutters, modeling clay with tools, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, sequins, googly eyes, feathers, toy wheels, duct tape, ribbon, and so much more!