RAINBOW CITY, AL — In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama is launching a regional academic challenge for middle school students. The competition invites students to identify and defend what they believe is the greatest American STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) invention or innovation of the past 250 years.
The competition allows the Challenger Learning Center to partner with America250 Alabama by inspiring emerging leaders to explore their knowledge of shared history — who we are, where we came from and where we can go in the future. Engaging key stakeholders, including school leaders, teachers and parents, will lead to discussions at school and at home about American discoveries that have shaped the world as it exists today.
Open to students in grades 5-6 across the center’s 12-county service area — Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Marshall, Randolph, Talladega and St. Clair — the competition promotes critical thinking, historical reflection, STEM literacy and a renewed focus on past accomplishments that have improved communities, the state, the nation and the world.
Students will research American contributions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics over the past 250 years, select the invention or innovation they consider most significant and defend their choice with three well-reasoned justifications.
Dr. Farrah Hayes, executive director of the Challenger Learning Center, identified this historic milestone as a unique opportunity to honor the nation’s contributions to the world while inspiring the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators.
“We are excited to open this competition to stimulate STEM learning and critical analysis of the numerous inventions and innovations created by Americans that have advanced our nation as a world leader,” Hayes said. “Teachers have joined in our excitement about this competition and are eager to encourage students to participate.”
Each student may submit only one entry. Public, private and homeschool students are eligible to participate, and schools may submit an unlimited number of individual entries.
Eight winners will be selected by a panel of judges in the four STEM categories — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in both fifth and sixth grades. Each winner will receive $50 and be recognized at the Challenger Learning Center booth during the Rainbow City Drone Show on June 27, 2026.
Information on competition rules and procedures for submitting an entry is available at www.challengeral.org
Questions may be sent to Stem250@challengeral.org
About Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama
The Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama is part of a global network of more than 30 Challenger Learning Centers that has reached more than 6 million students worldwide. The centers offer a variety of fully immersive, hands-on STEM programs designed to increase knowledge and confidence in STEM subjects, spark interest in STEM careers and expand the workforce pipeline.
About America250 Alabama
The mission of America250 Alabama is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence by supporting and promoting programs and events that educate, engage and unite Alabamians around the nation’s founding principles.
Its three guiding principles are to educate, to engage and to unite. By educating Alabamians about shared history, the initiative aims to foster a better understanding of who we are, where we come from and where we choose to go together in the future. By engaging Alabamians, it seeks to inspire citizens to continue shaping the nation as it evolves toward a more perfect union. And by uniting Alabamians in celebrations, it recognizes the power of diverse stories while maintaining focus on common bonds.
