Science fans and students are naturally inquisitive people. Over the years we’ve gathered the most frequently asked questions and included the answers here. If you have a question or concern that’s not addressed on this page, please feel free to contact us.
Click each question below to see the answer.
Q. Who is eligible to participate?
A. Entrants must be United States or Canadian citizens and living within the United States, U.S. Territories, U.S. Armed Forces or Canada. Entrants must also be full-time students, in grades K – 12, currently enrolled and attending a public, private, parochial, virtual school or home school.
Q. Does the ExploraVision competition cost anything to enter?
A. No, there is no entry fee for the program. It’s FREE to enter.
Q. How many students can enter on one team?
A. Two, three or four students may be on one team.
Q. Can my home schooled students be on a team with public school students?
A. Yes, they can. Students from different schools and even different states may form a team.
Q. Do team members have to be from the same school?
A. No, team members do not have to attend the same school or the same state.
Q. How do I download the submission form and instructions?
A. Register to submit projects online*.
Instructions can be found on the brochure below.
If you can’t open the file, please download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Q. Where can I view a sample project?
A. You can download real examples of past projects here.
Q. How do I register multiple teams?
A. Once the coach registers, he/she/they will receive a link to use to submit projects.
Q. Where do I send a completed project?
A. All projects are submitted online by your coach. Submit your project no later than 8:00 PM ET, January 27, 2027. Any questions, please contact exploravision@nsta.org
Q. What is the entry deadline?
A. Projects must be submitted by the coach by 8:00 PM ET, January 27, 2027 (see our home page for any updates.). Any questions, please contact exploravision@nsta.org
Q. If team members are not in the same grade, which grade band should they compete in?
A. A team competes in the grade band based on the grade of the oldest student on the team.
Q. I am not a U.S. or Canadian citizen but do live and attend school in the U.S. Can I compete?
A. Our prize structure requires that a student is a U.S. or Canadian citizen to receive the national awards. If the team would make it to the national level, they would be able to participate in the awards week, but the student(s) who are not citizens would not be eligible for the national prize.
Q. We have 3 team members, 2 of the 3 team members were regional winners. Can they compete together again with a new person who was not a winner?
A. Any previous winners cannot be on the same team in subsequent years after they have won. Since there are 2 winning students from a winning team and they want to compete again, they would need to be on 2 separate teams with other non-winning students.
Q. May a single student with a coach participate?
A. A team must have at least 2 students and a coach. We do not make any exceptions to this rule as it is a team competition.
Q. Will Toshiba or NSTA use my project to invent something?
A. Students who enter the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition retain rights to all ideas and products generated through their participation in the program. Neither NSTA nor Toshiba will attempt to patent any student work.
Q. Is there any summary information about the program guideline?
Yes, please see below.
Q. If team members are not in the same grade, which grade band should they compete in?
A. A team competes in the grade band based on the grade of the oldest student on the team.
Q. I am not a U.S. or Canadian citizen but do live and attend school in the U.S. Can I compete?
A. Our prize structure requires that a student is a U.S. or Canadian citizen to receive the national awards. If the team would make it to the national level, they would be able to participate in the awards week, but the student(s) who are not citizens would not be eligible for the national prize.
Q. We have 3 team members, 2 of the 3 team members were regional winners. Can they compete together again with a new person who was not a winner?
A. Any previous winners cannot be on the same team in subsequent years after they have won. Since there are 2 winning students from a winning team and they want to compete again, they would need to be on 2 separate teams with other non-winning students.
Q. May a single student with a coach participate?
A. A team must have at least 2 students and a coach. We do not make any exceptions to this rule as it is a team competition.
Q. Can I be both a mentor and a coach for a team?
A. No, the coach and the mentor must be a different person.
Q. Can the team coach sponsor more than one team?
A. Yes! It’s encouraged.
Q. I home school my children, can I be their coach?
A. Yes.
Q. May a parent who is also a team member's coach sponsor the team?
A. Yes.
Q. How much help can our group mentor give us?
A. Teams have the option of selecting a mentor as an additional advisor. The role of the mentor is that of a resource person.
Q. Can the mentor be from out of state, or does he/she need to be someone from our local community?
A. The mentor may be from another state.
Q. I'm a parent. Can I be a coach to my children's team? Can I be a memtor?
A. Yes, you can be a coach or a mentor (not both).
Q. Who can be a coach?
A. Any adult with an interest in science, technology, engineering or mathematics who is known to at least one of the students. The coach cannot be a mentor.
Q. Who can be a mentor?
A. Any adult with an interest in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. A mentor may represent an organization or business, be a parent/guardian of a team member, or be another school staff member or community member.
Q. Do I have to have a title page?
A. No, you should not include a separate page for the title. The title is the first question on the online submission form and is limited to 50 characters.
Q. Is the abstract part of the description?
A. No, the abstract does not count as part of the description. It is not counted in the 11-page limit of the Description. The abstract is submitted separately on the submission form from the description.
Q. Is the bibliography part of the description?
A. No, the bibliography is in addition to the description and therefore not counted in the 11-page limit of the Description.
Q. Can the technology launch flyer be attached to the description?
A. No, it should be uploaded separately on the submission form after the description section.
Q. Are there any minimum requirements for the K-3 storyboard template?
A. K-3 does not have a minimum font size; teams may use handwritten or hand drawn images for submission. Teams do need to submit at least 1 storyboard page for each section of their submission. Teams do need to keep the header titles on every page. There is no minimum or maximum number of lines of text per page. A visual representation of the team’s future technology is only needed on the technology launch flyer.
Q. Is it necessary to construct a prototype when teams submit their project?
A. Teams do need to have a visual representation of their prototype for the technology launch flyer. Teams do not need to construct a prototype. If the team moves on in the competition as a regional winner, they will be asked to construct a model of their prototype. The prototype does not need to be functional.
Q. How will this competition help in my teaching of science?
A. ExploraVision offers a great opportunity to put into practice many of the National Science Education Standards. The competition is a ready-made tool for teaching the content standards, and also provides a means to assess students’ science knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Students also benefit by working on communication and collaborative group skills and taking responsibility for their own learning. And, of course, it’s challenging and fun!
Q. How can I motivate students to enter ExploraVision?
A. One of the crucial roles of the coach is to provide motivation. Whether you’re offering constructive criticism or cheering students on, you have an important role in keeping your team on track and enthusiastic. Read more about motivating your team on www.exploravision.org/motivating-your-team
Q. Where can I learn more about the NGSS?
A. You can get more information on the NGSS.
|
|
|
|
Find all the answers to your questions on this Toshiba ExploraVision FAQs page, your essential guide for navigating this K-12 national STEM competition. Whether you’re wondering about team eligibility, submission rules, or project format for your science fair projects, this resource covers it all. Designed to assist students, coaches and teachers alike, it explains how to enter, what counts as a valid science competition entry, and how you can structure your STEM project to comply with guidelines. Make sure to review the FAQs to stay informed and increase your chances of success.