Learn how projects are judged.
Regional Judging;
Judging is organized into six regional areas of the United States and Canada. Regional judges consist of approximately 50 NSTA’s district judges and approximately 12 Ph.D. scientists from NASA, NIH, NSF, FDA headed by the Head Judge and vetted through the ExploraVision judges selection process. The following maximum points are allocated to each part of the project:
- Abstract: 4 points
- Present technology: 10 points
- History: 10 points
- Future technology: 24 points
- Breakthroughs: 17 points
- Design process: 10 points
- Consequences: 10 points
- Bibliography: 5 points
- Sample Web pages: 20 points
For more details on criteria used in judging, please download the 2026-2027 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Rubric. Here is the spreadsheet version for students use.
Projects will be judged on creativity, scientific accuracy, communication and feasibility of vision. Judges will award higher scores to projects that are different from those that have won previously. (See Winners.) To ensure an impartial selection process, the judges will not see student, teacher or school names.
A judging committee will select 24 teams, one for each grade-level category in each of the six regions. Regional winners will be notified in late March.
Toshiba ExploraVision’s science competition uses a detailed science fair judging criteria and rubric to evaluate K-12 STEM projects. Regional judges from NSTA, NASA, NIH, NSF and FDA score entries on present technology, history, future technology, breakthroughs, design process, consequences, bibliography and sample web pages. Projects must demonstrate creativity, scientific accuracy and a feasible future vision. Twenty-four regional winners advance to national judging, where Ph.D. scientists review virtual posters or websites featuring a prototype of the proposed technology. Finalist teams are selected for originality, clarity and innovation, with top awards presented at ExploraVision Awards Weekend.
Watch for new regional winner requirements and national judging in September.