Bringing science to life through curiosity and innovation.

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is now OPEN through April 27, 2023!

An Immersive STEM Portal, anchored by the award-winning annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

How to Enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge

Submit your original idea with a 1–2 minute video for a chance to win $25,000 and an exclusive mentorship with a 3M Scientist.

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Challenge Support Materials

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge gives students a chance to develop new skills and transform an idea into a working prototype. Use these resources to help guide your scientists through the process.

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See what our 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni are up to!

Follow the journey of former challenge finalists and 3M Mentors and see where they are today and what they are working on!

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About the Young Scientist Lab

Discovery Education and 3M have partnered to inspire the next generation of innovators through the Young Scientist Lab. Through K-8 standards-aligned resources and at-home DIY science experiments, along with the award-winning annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the Young Scientist Lab seeks to remove barriers and create accessible STEM learning for middle school students.

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Hands-on Resources to Inspire Student Scientists

The world is your laboratory.
Bring science exploration to life wherever learning takes place—no laboratory required!
Dive into exciting real-world challenges using flexible digital resources designed for in class and beyond.

Ready-to-Use Classroom Resources

Bringing science to every classroom.

Engage students in real-world solution-seeking with standards-aligned activities, lesson plans, digital interactives and more.

Celebrating DIY Science

Accessible, at-home science education.

Dive into project-based learning opportunities with life-changing possibilities for students through the nation’s premier middle school science competition.

Science at Work

Experiments & applying science every day.

In a 3M laboratory, scientists come to work every day prepared to research information and explore new possibilities that impact the world and propel innovation to make our world a better place. Read on to learn more about the 3M Scientists!

Family Activities

Science is about ideas. Teaching is about bringing it to life.

Use these free parent activities to turn your home into a lab and let the magic of “doing” begin! Engage your students with topics relevant to their life to underscore the power of science that impacts our world, and more.

Improving Lives with Science

Improving Health

Not only does science solve the biggest problems inside the human body, but it also helps us create the tools that doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals need to improve – and save – lives.

Great ideas are born from tackling real-world challenges, and great things start happening in students’ lives when they apply problem-solving skills to issues that matter to them. Empower students to tackle important challenges in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge with student submissions aligned to one of six key areas of impact: Health, Safety, Mobility, Environment, Energy Consumption, and Community.

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Moitri Santra

Moitri Santra

Finalist 2021

“This challenge was a fantastic opportunity to integrate myself more into the world of brain computer interfaces and how they can be applied in early diagnosis and treatment.”

Learn what sparked Moitri’s journey