2025 STEM Challenge Is now oPEN!! 

Purpose:

The purpose of Team 977’s Community STEM Challenge is to engage students, families, and local partners in hands-on, problem-solving experiences that promote interest, awareness, and collaboration around science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)

Who:

Kids in grades Kindergarten through 8th grade in Halifax, Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, Person, Campbell, and Charlotte Counties. 

Grade Divisions:

Alpha-Bots: Grades K-2

Junior-Bots: Grades 3-5

Innovators: Grades 6-8

Awards: 

All students who participate will receive a participation award. 

Students must be present at the STEM Fair on November 13th in order to receive their award. 

Student projects will be judged using a standard criteria and winners will be selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each grade division. (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners do not need to be present to win)

1st Place: $30 Walmart Gift Card

2nd Place: $20 Walmart Gift Card

3rd Place: $10 Walmart Gift Card 

STEM Fair Details: 

The 1st Annual Community STEM Fair will be held Thursday, November 13, 2025 from 5pm-7pm at The Prizery in South Boston, VA (700 Bruce Street, South Boston, VA)

Teacher/Classroom Incentives: 

1. Register your classroom using the link below

https://tinyurl.com/977Teacher 

2. Participating teachers will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $20 classroom gift cards!

The classroom with the highest percentage of participation (combined student submissions and Fair Attendance) will win an ice cream party sponsored by Pumpkin and Bugg’s Bake Shop to be held at the teacher’s convenience. 

2025 Challenge: 

Making Life Better....One Idea at a Time

Do you have an idea that could help your community? Are you ready to use your creativity and STEM skills to solve real-world problems? The Community STEM Challenge invites students in grades K–8 to become problem-solvers and innovators!

Think like an engineer, scientist, or inventor! Your mission is to:

1.  Identify a Problem
   Choose a real problem affecting your local community—or rural communities in general. This could be something at your school, neighborhood, or a larger issue like transportation, food access, internet connectivity, clean water, farming technologies, health care, or energy use.
   
   

2. Explain Why It Matters
   Why is this a problem? Who is affected? Help others understand why your chosen issue needs a solution.
   
   

3. Design a Solution
   Use STEM thinking to develop a creative solution! This could be a new invention, a simple tool, a system, a structure, or a piece of technology.
   
   

4. Describe Your Process
   Show us how you got to your solution. What ideas did you brainstorm? What research or testing did you do? What worked and what didn’t?
   
   

5. Create a Visual
   Include a drawing, diagram, model, or digital image to show your solution and thinking. This helps others understand your innovation.

Submission Details:

Projects may be submitted using one of the following methods:

Option A: Use the Linked Google Form to submit responses 

https://tinyurl.com/2025STEM977 

Option B: Email submission to outreach@team977.com (Be sure to include submission sheet including name, grade level and contact information)

Submissions Due: October 31, 2025

Scoring Rubrics

Sponsored by.....

Future Builders

Game Changers

Inspiration Contibuters

Whitney Martin