Students Gather as Winners of World’s Largest K-12 Science Competition

June 11, 2025 at 08:00 AM EDT

National Winners of 33^rd Annual Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Science Competition to Be Commended at Awards Celebration

Today, the national winners of the 33^rd annual ExploraVision program, the world’s largest K-12 science competition, gathered in Washington, DC to be formally recognized for their winning projects. ExploraVision is sponsored by Toshiba and administered by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA). This competition is designed to help students develop skills emphasized in the Next Generation Science Standards, including problem-solving, critical-thinking and collaboration skills. To participate, students were challenged to imagine and come up with an idea for a tool or technology of the future with the potential to solve the world’s critical problems.

Fostering young minds’ interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is at the core of Toshiba—a company committed to raising the quality of life for people around the world. This commitment drove the company to partner with NSTA to create the ExploraVision competition in 1992. For 33 consecutive years, ExploraVision has helped children to expand their imaginations and have fun while developing an interest in STEM education at an early age.

Science Showcase

During the Science Showcase on June 13^th, the eight winning student teams will showcase their prototypes and self-designed project websites. The students will present to members of the press, their peers, parents, educators, previous ExploraVision winners, NSTA board and leadership council members, and leaders in education policy. High-profile attendees include Bill Nye the Science Guy; Ambassador Shigeo Yamada, Embassy of Japan, Justin “Mr. Fascinate” Shaifer; Dr. Nancy Kamei, Chief Public Engagement Officer at the USPTO, Mr. Koji Ikeya, Corporate Officer, Corporate Senior Executive Vice President, Toshiba Corporation; Mr. Bob Lay, Interim Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Beverly DeVore-Wedding, President, NSTA; and Mr. Philip Danziger, PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins, and past ExploraVision winner.

More Than Just a Science Competition

Close to 3,000 teams entered projects in the 33^rd Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition, comprised of close to 6,000 students from across the United States and Canada. This year’s winners created projects that can potentially protect the environment, prevent diseases and make our roaders safer. Winning projects include:

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision 2025 National Winners

2025 First-Place Winners
- Grade K-3: Eye Understand: Glasses for People Who Use Sign Language – A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton, Florida
  
  Project poster
- Grades 4-6: ELECTRO-BUZZ: Redefining Pollination for a Resilient and Sustainable Future – Willow Springs Elementary School, Fairfax, Virginia
  
  Project website
- Grades 7-9: DRONE RANGER for Fighting Wildfires – Twin Groves Middle School, Buffalo Grove, Illinois
  
  Project website
- Grades 10-12: Seizor – Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, North York, Ontario
  
  Project website

2025 Second-Place Winners
- Grade K-3: BlazeBlock: The Hemp Revolution That Stops Fires Cold!– Don Campbell Elementary School, Red Deer, Alberta
  
  Project poster
- Grades 4-6: Lost Then Found – Heritage School, Salem, Oregon
  
  Project website
- Grades 7-9: Biomimetic Surfaces – STEM School Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
  
  Project website
- Grades 10-12: Nano Artertract Plaque Seeker (NAPS) – Downtown Magnets High School, Los Angeles, California
  
  Project website

The eight national winning teams are comprised of a first-place winner and second-place winner from four groups based on grade level. Members of first place national winning teams each receive a $10,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity). Members of second place national winning teams will each receive a $5,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity).

For more information or to access an application for the 2025/2026 program, visit https://www.exploravision.org/ or email exploravision@nsta.org. Follow ExploraVision on X, formerly known as Twitter, at https://www.twitter.com/ToshibaAmerica or join the ExploraVision Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/ToshibaAmerica.

About Toshiba

In 2025, the Toshiba Group celebrates its 150th anniversary. As the company looks ahead, it is enhancing its management structure, streamlining operations, and investing in forward-looking businesses to build foundations for new growth. This will allow it to continue to support advances toward a sustainable future with products and services developed by its wide range of businesses in the energy, infrastructure, and electronic devices domains. Guided by its corporate philosophy, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future.,” Toshiba brings industry-leading capabilities in green transformation (GX) and digital transformation (DX) to solutions for companies addressing the many challenges faced by modern society. By leveraging the power of data derived from its constantly evolving products and solutions, the Group is determined to help to achieve carbon neutrality and a circular economy. In fiscal year 2024, Toshiba Group recorded annual sales of 3.5 trillion yen and employed 95,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Toshiba America, Inc.

Founded in 1965, Toshiba America, Inc. (TAI) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Toshiba Corporation and the holding company of three Toshiba operating companies that offer a broad range of products and solutions for the commercial, energy and industrial sectors. The three companies, which along with TAI are known collectively as Toshiba America Group, are Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (Semiconductor & data storage solutions), Toshiba America Energy Systems, Corp. (Power generation solutions), Toshiba International Corporation (Industrial, power electronics & transmission & distribution solutions), and a Toshiba America Company, Toshiba America Business Solutions (Multifunction printers, label and receipt printers, digital signage, managed print services, and cloud solutions). For more information, visit www.toshiba.com, or follow Toshiba America on X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

About NSTA

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a vibrant community of 35,000 science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and its impact on student learning. NSTA offers high-quality science resources and continuous learning so that science educators grow professionally and excel in their career. For new and experienced teachers alike, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with like-minded peers at the national level, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field. For more information, visit www.nsta.org, or follow NSTA on X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250611131483/en/

For the last 150 years, Toshiba’s goal has been to enable a more sustainable, resilient future. Our partnership with NSTA, now in its 33rd year, helps nurture the STEM professionals of tomorrow.

Contacts

Media:

Toshiba

Samantha Smoak: toshiba@pancomm.com

NSTA

Kate Falk: kfalk@nsta.org

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Students Gather as Winners of World’s Largest K-12 Science Competition

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