The Society’s middle school science program was first launched in 1999 to encourage achievement and communication in science and math at a younger age and to serve as the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students.

The top 30 finalists in the nation’s premier STEM competition, the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge showcased their projects and answered questions about their work at Planet Word Museum. The students were selected from a pool of 300 to compete for more than $100,000 in awards and prizes.