The U.S. Embassy in Athens and the Greek nonprofit organisation SciCo, have launched STEM STARS GREECE, a competition that supports and rewards 14 to 18-year-old students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The top performers will represent Greece at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the world’s largest international science competition, which will take place virtually in May 2021 under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, sponsored by Microsoft Hellas.This year’s contest is also one in a series of initiatives supported by the U.S. Embassy in Athens in 2021 that will commemorate 200 years of friendship between Greece and the United States of America.
Participation in the competition is free. Students who are between 14 and 18 years of age (High School 3rd Grade – Lyceum 3rd Grade) on the date of the competition are eligible to participate.
The competition offers participants the opportunity to dive into specific areas of interest in STEM; develop research, collaboration, presentation and communication skills; present their findings to an audience; network with people who have common research interests, including scientists and STEM professionals; and win valuable prizes.
The first step for a student or team to enter the competition is to choose a STEM area to research in depth.
Research or projects can be undertaken under any of the four STEM components (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), and a project can touch upon more than one topic.
There are no restrictions on the type of project a team may pursue – for example, a project can be an invention or a structure, an experiment or research towards solving a contemporary issue – as long as the approach is based on an innovative idea.
All projects must be submitted online at https://stemstarsgreece.athens-science-festival.gr/ between 15 December 2020 and 21 February 2021. The final list of qualifying students will be announced on the above website in March 2021.
The national finals will take place virtually in March 2021 at the Athens Science Festival. This event will determine the two participants or teams to win a place at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
This is the first time students from Greece will take part in the ISEF and compete for $5,000,000 in prizes.
For more information and detailed participation requirements, visit https://stemstarsgreece.athens-science-festival.gr/ or email stemstarsgreece@gmail.com
Also read: Rania Lampou receives ‘Best Teacher’ at the 2020 Global Teacher Awards