Brought to you by the Biology and Biotechnology Programs
Science Lab Challenge
Summary
In this challenge, you’ll explore real science labs, talk with professionals, research different types of labs, and design your own! By the end, you’ll understand what makes a lab work safely and efficiently — and you’ll have created a full lab design project.
Eligibility
■ Participants must be in 9th – 12th grade and may attend a recognized school or be homeschooled
■ Participants must reside in one of the following Indiana Counties: Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, or Owen
■ This is an individual challenge, so participants must each complete their own unique plan.
The Challenge
Your Task:
Develop a laboratory space that contains needed equipment, allows for required activities, and follows all necessary safety protocols. You may choose the focus of your lab: Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, or Microbiology.
Step 1: Tour a Lab
Goal: See how a real science lab works.
What to Do:
Find a lab to tour. It could be:
A local industry or research lab
A college lab (you can reach out to Kyle Hetrick (khetrick3@ivytech.edu) to visit Ivy Tech Bloomington)
A high school lab
Read through this entire challenge before your visit so you know what to look for!
After your visit, write a summary of your observations.
Your summary must include:
· The location (name of the company, college, or school)
· The type of lab
· The name and contact information of the person who gave you the tour
· A description of your observations
Step 2: Interview a Lab Professional
Goal: Learn directly from someone who works in a lab.
What to Do:
Interview someone who works in a science lab.
You can do this during your tour or set up a separate interview.
If you need help finding someone, contact Kyle Hetrick (khetrick3@ivytech.edu).
Prepare your questions ahead of time — think about what you want to learn.
Write a summary of your interview.
Your summary must include:
· The name and contact info of the person you interviewed
· The type of lab they work in
· A brief description of what you learned
Step 3: Research Your Lab Type
Goal: Understand the needs of a specific kind of science lab.
Choose one lab type to focus on:
Biology
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Microbiology
What to Do:
Research your chosen lab type — include safety requirements, typical activities done in the lab, equipment needed, and lab design considerations (size, number of rooms, entry/exit doors, etc).
Write a summary of your research and include citations for your sources. This means that you need both in-text citations and a full list of references at the end. Ask your school library or local public library if you need help with this. The Ivy Tech Bloomington library website is a good source for resources and citation info!
Step 4: Design Your Own Lab
Goal: Create a blueprint for your own science lab.
What to Do:
You may add support spaces (like storage, prep areas, offices, etc.).
Draw a floor plan (hand drawn or computer drawn) that includes:
Equipment locations
Lab benches and utilities
Safety features (eyewash stations, fire extinguishers, etc.)
Any support spaces you added
(Bonus: Draw your plan to scale!)
You must provide the overall dimensions of your lab room and support spaces in your floor plan.
Create a virtual tour of your lab. This can include but is not limited to:
Written descriptions
Labeled images
A presentation (slide deck)
A video
How you show and share your virtual tour is your choice – be creative!
Step 5: Safety Audit
Goal: Evaluate the safety of your lab design.
What to Do:
Research how real lab safety audits are done.
Conduct a virtual safety audit of your lab.
Write an audit outcomes report that includes:
The issues you found and how you would fix them
Information about Safety Data Sheets (SDS), including what they are and why they are important.
Step 6: Final Summary
Goal: Reflect on what you learned from this project.
What to Do:
Write a final summary that includes:
What you learned through this challenge
What parts were most difficult or surprising for you
How you approached each task and solved any problems you encountered
Final Product you will submit:
· An overall report that includes
o Summary of your lab tour
o Summary of your interview
o Research summary with citations (in text and fill citations)
o Lab floorplan(s) and your lab tour presentation or description
o Safety audit report, including your research (cited) and any checklists used
o Final project summary
HOW TO SUBMIT
Due Date: Friday, March 6
Format: Submissions must be made using a gmail account. Submit here.
Please complete the Use of Image waiver as part of your submission - if you are a minor your parent/guardian must also sign.
If you experience trouble with your submission - please reach out to Sarah Nagy snagy6@ivytech.edu
WINNERS
Winners will be selected by committee and will be announced in April 2026
· First Place: $200 gift card
· Second Place: $100 gift card
· Third Place: $50 gift card