The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the nation’s premier science competition for grades 5-8.

This one-of-a-kind video competition has sparked a sense of wonder and discovery in hundreds of thousands of students and enhanced science, innovation, and communication across the United States.

Prizes

Grand Prize Winner

• $25,000
• A one-of-a-kind 2 day/1-night destination trip
• Moreover, the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist”

Two Runner-Up Prizes

• A one-of-a-kind 2 day/1-night destination trip

Honorable Mention (up to 6 awarded)

• $500 excursion

Improving Lives Award

• A one-of-a-kind 2 day/1-night destination trip

Top 10 Finalists

• $1,000 grant award each
• Also, participation in a unique summer mentorship with a 3M scientist

State Merit Winners (up to 51 awarded – one from each State and the District of Columbia)

• 3M Innovation Prize Packs

Honorable Mention (up to 4 awarded- one from each grade band)

• 3M Innovation Prize Packs

Eligibility

• legal U.S. residents who are at least ten years of age as of April 26, 2022
• Also, they should be students enrolled in 5th through 8th grade at a public, charter, private, parochial, or home school located in one of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia.
• Former Young Scientist Challenge finalists are not eligible to enter the Contest.
• Employees, officers, contractors, and directors of Discovery Education, Sponsor and 3M Company, their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising agencies, promotional suppliers, and their immediate family members as well as members of the same households (whether related or not) are not eligible.
• The sponsor’s determinations of eligibility are final and may be made at any time.
• Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited.

The Challenge

Students should review the six entry topics presented on the Website, then identify a solution to an everyday problem that aligns with one of the six entry topics and that directly impacts them, their families, their communities, and/or the global population. The idea must be an innovation or solution based on the student’s original idea, and cannot simply be a behavioral change or a new use for an existing product. The student must create a one- to two-minute video that:

• aligns with one of the six entry topics presented on the Website
• explains the problem and how it impacts them, their families, their communities, and/or the global population
• describes an innovation or solution that could impact or solve the problem
• Also, explain the science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics behind their innovation
• illustrates how their innovation could both address the everyday problem they have identified and also have a broader impact locally or globally.

Participants can find additional inspiration online at www.youngscientistlab.com

What the judges are looking for:

• Description of the problem and also how it affects the student, family, community, or global population.
• Details about the science behind the innovation or solution.
• Clear explanations as well as a demonstration of how well the problem and solution are understood by the student
• Also, an explanation of how the innovation could have a broader reach or impact beyond the student, family, or community.
• An explanation of how the student came up with their original idea.
• Moreover, proper citation for any non-original materials used in the student’s entry.

Video Submission

The Entry Video must be longer than 60 seconds, but not longer than 120 seconds. The Entry Video must be the original work of the student. Only the student can appear in the Entry Video. Also, students must work independently on the development of their video concept and must record their video with minimal help or direction from others. Entries that include non-student work will be disqualified.

The student’s parent or legal guardian must upload the student’s Entry Video, title the video “3M Young Scientist Challenge Video Submission – [Your title]”, set the video’s privacy settings to “Unlisted”, note the unique URL that YouTube has given the video, and then provide the URL to the student. The student’s parent or legal guardian may disable the comments section of the video if they so choose.

Then, during the Contest Period, the student must visit www.youngscientistlab.com and log in by using his/her username and password to access the entry page. At the entry page, the student will be prompted to provide the unique YouTube URL for his/her Entry Video, provide any additional requested entry information, and, if desired, upload a photograph and brief biographical information. Any photographs should be uploaded in print-quality resolution (if possible), in *.tiff, *.gif, or *.jpg format.

Once the entry form is completed, the student must click the “Save and Submit” button at the bottom of the form so that the entry is received by the Sponsor’s server.

Timeline

• Entry Submission Period: December 17, 2021, to April 26, 2022
• Judging: On or before June 19, 2022
• Finalist Announcement: July 31, 2022.
• Public Voting Period: October 3, 2022, to October 14, 2022
• Winner Announcement: October 17, 2022, to October 18, 2022