If you’d like to run a STEM competition, check out the challenges below from partner organisations:

• Make It Happen (Booking Link/Contact Email) – Every learner in your school can start their journey to becoming digital creators in this exciting free challenge that volunteers will run from JP Morgan Chase. During 2023/2024, over 8,000 learners across 28 settings in East Dunbartonshire took part in a Make It Happen competition in their school. Read more about it here.
• Creating Engineers (K’NEX) Challenge – The contest gives P5 & 6 pupils a chance to demonstrate their creativity, design and build skills by solving set engineering challenges using the construction set K’Nex. During 2024/2025, East Dunbartonshire saw 1189 learners across 18 primary schools enter the challenge.
• If you were an engineer, what would you do? Leaders Award Competition (3 – 19 years old) – Bringing engineering into your classroom couldn’t be easier with this annual cross-curricular STEAM competition from Primary Engineer.
• STATWARS: Climate Change Challenge (8 – 14 years old) – Ideal for teaching Climate Change in the classroom, STATWARS has a fully formed lesson plan you can build from along with all the resources you’ll need in the classroom.
• WildHearts Micro Tyco (younger than 12 years old) – Micro-Tyco is a leading global entrepreneurship competition which challenges young people to work together and develop innovative solutions to address The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• goIT SDG Monthly Challenge (6 – 11 years old) – The goIT Monthly Challenge is a recurring opportunity for classrooms to directly engage in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the goIT digital innovation.
• First LEGO League* (6 – 16 years old) – FLL deliver hands-on STEM experiences for children aged 6 to 16 years through their FIRST® LEGO® League divisions across the UK.

*First LEGO League does come at a cost but grants are often available through IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology).

🌍 Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB):

KSB offer a range of programmes and challenges that learners can complete which incorporate STEM and Learning for Sustainability. Check them out below:

• STEM the Flow Engineering Competition (P5 to S3)- Delivered as part of KSB’s award-winning Upstream Battle campaign, the STEM the Flow engineering competition encourages pupils to investigate and design solutions to tackle marine litter upstream at source with a pupil-led STEM project for Primary 5 to Secondary 3.
• Pocket Garden Competition (3 – 18 years old) – Each year, KSB invite young people from schools across Scotland to send in their designs for a colourful and exciting environmentally friendly, pocket-sized garden.
• One Planet Picnic – OPP is a fun way to make your food and drink choices environmentally friendly. Check out the step by step guide for inspiration and ideas.
• Clean Up Scotland – Clean Up Scotland is KSB’s campaign to tackle litter. Whether you are an individual, member of a community, school or a business, you can work together to improve the environment.
• Climate Ready Classrooms (P5/P6/P7) – Climate Ready Classrooms for Primary Schools is a series of workshops and activities, delivered on a local authority basis. By taking part, pupils will gain an understanding of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis and take action to address these issues.
• Eco Schools Scotland (for Eco Committees) – Completing a Green Flag Application through the Eco Schools programme is recognised by the Green Flag Award – a visible indication of your school’s commitment to Learning for Sustainability and an internationally recognised accreditation for excellence in sustainable education.
• LEAF Awards – Learning about Forests is a learning programme that advocates outdoor learning and hands-on experiences, resulting in pupils gaining a deeper and more involved understanding of the natural world.