ExploraVision Science Fair Competition Next Generation Science Standards

ExploraVision Looks to the Future

This is the 24th year of ExploraVision! This year we reflected on the success of the program, and made meaningful changes that we believe will make the program an effective educational tool for the next 20 years. 

The ExploraVision competition will now offer students more of the scientific and engineering learning experiences that are central to the Next Generation Science Standards. ExploraVision has always been proud of representing excellence in science education. Not surprisingly, many of our program’s key features already reflect the goals of the Next Generation Science Standards. The few changes we’re making now will deepen the connection to NGSS, which we feel is important for several reasons:

• Just as ExploraVision has enhanced education by encouraging scientific imagination, interdisciplinary studies (science, technology, history, communications) and team building, the changes we are making will further enhance education by emphasizing specific science and engineering practices found in the NGSS and the NRC K-12 Framework for Science Education.
• Annually, it is estimated that 150,000 students begin ExploraVision and 15,000 students submit entries. Aligning ExploraVision more closely with the NGSS will expose more students (and teachers) nationwide to the key scientific and engineering experiences central to NGSS and will encourage positive change in science education.

Restructuring the competition to align more closely with the Next Generation Science Standards will help us to celebrate ExploraVision’s past as we set new goals for an even brighter future! We are proud that ExploraVision will offer students learning experiences central to the Next Generation Science Standards.