Connecting today’s world-class research to tomorrow’s STEM problem solvers.
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Click on what interests you! If you are in 3rd—12th grade there is something for you.
Virtual Competitions Complete
Winners will be announced December 6th. If you missed a chance to compete, don’t worry, we will be back soon with a new competition.
Future STEM Problem Solvers (3rd–5th grade students)
Try your hand at being a scientist AND an engineer! Test out how animals have adapted to moving through their environment and improve on a plane design that was inspired by birds!
Spark Your Inner Scientist (6th–8th grade students)
What is Friction? Da Vinci thought it was the same between all surfaces.... was he correct?
Through this scientific experiment challenge you will use items around your home to learn if he was or wasn't.
Ignite Your Inner Engineer (6th–8th grade students)
What goes up.... must come down. Da Vinci knew this, and he designed a parachute that was WAY ahead of his time. Now, you get to build a replica of HIS parachute and (just like an engineer) try to improve it.
Spark Your Inner Scientist (9th–12th grade students)
Was Da Vinci always correct and why was Da Vinci deemed the world's first Tribologist? Discover this and more as you design your own experiment to test one of Da Vinci's findings.
Ignite Your Inner Engineer (9th–12th grade students)
"How hard can it be to design a parachute....Da Vinci did it" He did and so can you! In the 1500s Da Vinci designed what we know now as a parachute. In this challenge you are going to build a replica of his parachute then try to improve on his design.
Virtual Escape Rooms
Wish you could visit Argonne? Hopefully, you can someday. In the meantime, step into our virtual escape laboratories and see what it’s like to solve a STEM mystery!
Need help creating an account or joining a group? Click here!
Cybersecurity Virtual Escape Room
Can you stop a cyber attack? Work with Argonne’s cybersecurity experts to explore phishing, encryption, social engineering, and the dark web to fight back against a notorious hacker that is trying to take over peoples’ cars! (6th–12th grade students)
COVID-19 Escape Room (9th–12th grade students)
As an Argonne intern for the day, use our labs to figure out where it’s most likely that three fictional students at the same school were infected with COVID-19. Visit our labs that specialize in risk analysis and decision science, nanoscale materials, supercomputers and scientific visualization to learn more about how COVID-19 is spread and how to mitigate it. You decide, should we shut down the school?
DIY At-Home Activities
You can science anywhere! Why not help us answer some STEM questions from home? Try our simple activities and share your results. Let’s do this!
Need help creating an account or joining a group? Click here!
Mine Your Trash Activity (5th grade and up)
Have you ever heard the phrase: "One person’s trash is another person’s treasure"? Trash bins and landfills are filled with valuable materials! Materials that we can make into new, shiny, and useful things. Join us in our "Mine Your Trash" challenge to reduce the number of items that end up in landfills!
Which Planet is the Flattest Activity (5th grade and up)
What shape are the planets? It’s likely not what you think. In this activity, you will create your own model of a rotating planet and make some observations. Then, determine which planet is indeed the flattest.
Smart Charging Activity (5th grade and up)
Imagine: your friend is getting ready to head out for the day and their phone gives them a low battery charge warning. They only have ten minutes before they must leave. They have several charging cables to choose from, all different lengths--Which one should they choose? Is there an optimal length to charge your phone? How much can you increase the charge on your phone in 10 minutes? Are there any other factors at play? In this activity, you will measure how much your phone’s battery charges in 10 minutes. You will then submit your results to the Argonne Smart Charging Data Form. Your submission will be one data point within a larger experiment tested by students from all over! Your findings will help answer the questions above.
Mine Your Trash Activity (5th grade and up)
Have you ever heard the phrase: "One person’s trash is another person’s treasure"? Trash bins and landfills are filled with valuable materials! Materials that we can make into new, shiny, and useful things. Join us in our "Mine Your Trash" challenge to reduce the number of items that end up in landfills!
Which Planet is the Flattest Activity (5th grade and up)
What shape are the planets? It’s likely not what you think. In this activity, you will create your own model of a rotating planet and make some observations. Then, determine which planet is indeed the flattest.
Smart Charging Activity (5th grade and up)
Imagine: your friend is getting ready to head out for the day and their phone gives them a low battery charge warning. They only have ten minutes before they must leave. They have several charging cables to choose from, all different lengths--Which one should they choose? Is there an optimal length to charge your phone? How much can you increase the charge on your phone in 10 minutes? Are there any other factors at play? In this activity, you will measure how much your phone’s battery charges in 10 minutes. You will then submit your results to the Argonne Smart Charging Data Form. Your submission will be one data point within a larger experiment tested by students from all over! Your findings will help answer the questions above.
Summer Camps
Summer camps give students the opportunity to work alongside Argonne scientists and engineers at our facilities, where they are exposed to the 21st-century skills and dispositions that make Argonne a center for innovation. Through these experiences, students can explore career opportunities in STEM and also learn from some of the leaders in their respective fields. This unique, professional environment provides young people with the tools and perspectives that can pay dividends for years to come.
Furthermore, by covering everything in our diverse program set from initial exposure and outreach for young students unfamiliar with the field to pushing students forward toward more advanced activities that will enrich their STEM skills and professional connections, we set students on a pathway to scientific excellence. Check out our exciting camp opportunities today!
CodeGirls Camp (6th–8th grade female students)
CodeGirls@Argonne Camp brings together 6th and 7th-grade girls to take the first step in exploring what it means to think like an Argonne computer scientist!
Coding For Science Camp (9th–12th grade students)
At Argonne's summer computing workshop, high school students have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how to code from some of the best and brightest computer scientists in the nation. No prior coding experience necessary.
Big Data Camp (9th–12th grade students)
Big Data Camp brings together high school juniors and seniors into a workshop environment where they will use professional Argonne research data and tools to uncover the secrets of data and look forward at their bright futures.
About Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center, where talented scientists and engineers work together to answer the biggest questions facing humanity, from how to obtain affordable clean energy to protecting ourselves and our environment. Ever since we were born out of the University of Chicago’s work on the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, our goal has been to make an impact—from the atomic to the human to the global scale.
Surrounded by the highest concentration of top-tier research organizations in the world, Argonne leverages its Chicago-area location to lead discovery and to power innovation in a wide range of core scientific capabilities, from high-energy physics and materials science to biology and advanced computer science.