Third Annual Project Based Learning Showcase

At the National STEM Honor Society^TM, we encourage all of our members to engage in enriching STEM project-based learning activities to fuel students’ passion for STEM and use their knowledge to make a real-world impact.

In the past two years, this event has showcased over 40 projects from 27 chapters in 11 states! This year, we are proud to announce that we will be hosting the Third Annual NSTEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) Showcase that will provide a fantastic opportunity for NSTEM^TM students across the world to connect and share their exciting STEM projects made during the 2024-2025 school year. Students will be able to present their STEM projects as well as ask and answer questions regarding their projects in front of their peers, family members, teachers, and fellow members around the world.

This showcase will be open to all Pre-K/Elementary, Middle School, and High School NSTEM^TM Chapters as well as Individual Global Members; students also have the opportunity to enter their project to be considered for an award and/or NSTEM Commitment Certificates! Scroll down for information on important dates and guidelines.

Want to participate but not a member? Start a Chapter or an Individual Global Membership today!

Showcase Policies

Projects

For the 2025 NSTEM PBL Showcase, participants should showcase existing or planned STEM projects (many of which are most likely in process!) It would be great if the project can be applicable to a local problem; for example, flooding prevention in New Orleans, hurricane response in Florida, etc.
Participants can enter projects as individuals or in a group. There is no limit to the number of participants in one group project, though we recommend that you limit it to 4-5 members.

Event Logistics

The event will be run on two separate dates for pre-K/elementary/lower middle school (Lower Division – 3/1/25) and upper middle/high school (Upper Division – 3/8/25).
The event will be run virtually, over Zoom, by NSTEM directors and interns. The Zoom will be recorded and may be distributed on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, etc.
Students will be given the ability to present live and the total presentation time has to fall under 5 minutes. Pre-recorded presentations will not be shown during the live session.
An NSTEM Chapter and Chapter members can submit as many projects as they want.

Eligibility

Projects must be created by members of an official NSTEM^TM pre-K/elementary, middle, or high school Chapter or Individual Global Member.
Chapter Advisors and Individual Global Members must register with the Chapter Registration Form (by 1/24/25) before registering any project.

Showcase Guidelines

In order for projects to be entered into the showcase, they must adhere to the following guidelines:

Step 1: Chapter and International Global Member Registration

Chapter Advisors should register their chapters using the Chapter Registration Form by 1/24/25 in order for one or more of their members to participate in the showcase. Individual global members should also use their form to submit their registration.

Step 2: Project Preparation

Required Project Components:
- Abstract (250 words max.) This is a short summary of your project. This may be displayed on our website if we decide to feature your project! For examples, see the “Helpful Resources” section at the bottom of this page.
- Presentation materials (5 minutes presentation time max.) You may choose to use a slideshow, virtual poster, or pre-recorded video to explain your project. There are no limitations to slide number or poster size. You must provide a shareable Google Drive link to the material set to viewable by anyone with the link. This year, no pre-recorded videos will be accepted for the live session, though you may submit it for offline judging.
- References. Include a list of references (any citation style) you consulted as you worked on your project.

NSTEM Commitment Certificate Components (Optional):
- Community and Connectivity To earn a Community and Connectivity Commitment Certificate, participants must demonstrate that their project has contributed positively to the community or broader scientific community and breaks down communication barriers to marginalized communities through outreach efforts.
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility To earn an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility Commitment Certificate, participants must address issues related to underrepresented groups, equity, or accessibility in science and demonstrate that their project seeks to empower these communities.
- Environmental Sustainability To earn an Environmental Sustainability Commitment Certificate, participants must develop a project that directly addresses an environmental issue or contributes to sustainable practices, showcasing a clear connection between their research and environmental stewardship.

Suggested Project Components:
- Problem/Purpose. What is the purpose of your project? What real-world problem are you aiming to solve? Why is it significant?
- Hypothesis. What is your expected outcome?
- Methodology. How did you conduct your project? What materials did you use? If you are submitting a project proposal, what materials and methods do you anticipate will be needed?
- Results. What were your results? Analyze your results. Were they what you expected?
- Impact. How does your project contribute to combatting a real-world issue?
- Images. We highly recommend presenters limit words in the presentation and instead use images, graphs, diagrams, etc. throughout their presentation to make it as engaging as possible.

Step 3: Register the Project

Submit projects using the Project Registration Form form by 2/14/25. If submitting a group project, this form should only be filled out once (not once per participant.)
Fill out the media consent & release agreement which will be sent to participants and their guardians upon registration.
Students will be emailed project approval or revisions no later than 1 week after submitting the registration form and are expected to make the requested changes.

Awards

If you choose to be considered for an award, your project will be judged by a panel of STEM educators, professionals, and research-oriented NSTEM^TM interns based on adherence to the guidelines, scientific accuracy/technical proficiency, science communication, creativity, and potential real-world impact. Click here to view the 2025 Rubric.

Each level (lower and upper) will have the following winners and awards:

1st place: Certificate, NSTEM merch (NSTEM pin, T-shirt, cap, and decals), feature on NSTEM^TM social media and website
2nd place: Certificate, NSTEM merch (NSTEM pin and T-shirt) feature on NSTEM^TM social media
3rd place: Certificate, NSTEM merch (NSTEM pin) feature on NSTEM^TM social media
Verbal commendation: Certificate, feature on NSTEM^TM social media

NSTEM^TM Commitment Certificates

The three founding principles of the National STEM Honor Society are Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA), Community & Connectivity, and Environmental Sustainability.

This recognition is intended to have your projects be at least in part community-focused.

All projects submitted will be automatically considered for the NSTEM Commitment Certificates. Each commitment certificate aligns with an NSTEM value and will be given if the panel of judges evaluates that a valuable contribution or impact from the project has been made in the community.

Participants will be awarded a certificate suitable for framing.

#NSTEMPBL25 – Social Media Campaign

One of NSTEM’s goals for this showcase is to motivate, inspire, and connect NSTEM members around the world! As members start their projects, we encourage you to utilize the #NSTEMPBL25 on all social media platforms and tag us to show us and other chapters and members what you are working on.

Make sure to follow us @nstemhs to participate!

Important Dates and Deadlines

Date	Event Deadlines
10/15/24	Chapter and Project Registration Opens: Chapter Advisors/Individual Global Members fill out the Chapter Registration Form and students fill out the Project/Participant Registration Form
9/1/24-2/14/25	Students work on creating project or project proposal and document progress by tagging @nstemhs on Instagram and using the #NSTEMPBL25 tag on all platforms Students will be emailed project approval or revisions no later than 1 week after their submission
1/24/25	Chapter/Individual Global Member Registration Closes
2/14/25	Project/Participant Registration Closes
2/26/24	Official Release of Event Information
3/1/25 1 PM EST on Zoom	2025 NSTEM PBL Showcase (Lower Division)
3/8/25 1 PM EST on Zoom	2025 NSTEM PBL Showcase (Upper Division)
3/10/25	Feedback form released
TBA	Awards shipped