Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

ExploraVision is a large K-12 STEM competition, run by Toshiba and NSTA, in which teams of 2-4 students imagine and design a future technology to solve a real problem, judged across four separate grade-based categories: Primary (K-3), Upper Elementary (4-6), Middle Level (grades 7-9), and High School Level (grades 10-12) -- meaning a 9th-grade student competes in Middle Level alongside 7th and 8th graders, not with 10th-12th graders. Each member of a category's 1st-place team chooses a $10,000 Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity), $5,000 cash, or a $5,000 contribution to a 529 education plan, with 2nd-place team members choosing the equivalent $5,000/$2,500/$2,500 options (4 first-place and 4 second-place teams total across all categories each year); national finalists also get an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. It is currently active for the 2026-2027 (35th year) cycle.

Eligibility

DemographicsTeam-based (2-4 students); U.S. or Canadian citizens living in the U.S./Canada/U.S. territories or a DoW Education Activity school abroad, enrolled full-time, age 21 or under. Free to enter. High school grades 9-12 span two of the competition's four categories, Middle Level (7-9) and High School Level (10-12) -- a grade-9 student is judged against 7th/8th graders, not other high schoolers.

Applying

Per-student choice: 1st place (one team per grade category) $10,000 savings bond (at maturity) / $5,000 cash / $5,000 to a 529 plan; 2nd place $5,000 bond / $2,500 cash / $2,500 to a 529 plan. Canadian winners receive the cash-equivalent only (no bond/529 option).