Skip to main content

Welcome to the 2023-2024 SECME Competition Year!

SECME competitions offer an exciting opportunity for teachers to reinforce science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. These hands-on activities challenge students to persevere and excel while exposing them to real-world STEM applications.

We’ve introduced new engineering and artistic elements to make this year’s competition even more engaging. These additions are designed to stimulate the minds of our future scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians and generate excitement about college and STEM careers.

2023-2024 GUIDELINES OVERVIEW RECORDING

2023-2024 GUIDELINES OVERVIEW POWERPOINT PRESENTATION 

Join Us in Promoting STEM Excellence!

Competition Categories and Guidelines 
General Rules
Quick facts
  • Competitions are open to the public, including public, private, magnet, home schools, and Informal STEAM Learning (ISL) teams, such as the local Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
  • Teams competing in categories of Mousetrap Car, Water Bottle Rocket, and Essay must first participate at the regional level to be eligible for national competition.
  • Any team participating in categories exclusively at the national level (AI, Logo Design, and Poster Design) can compete directly at the national level.
  • Mousetrap Car, Water Bottle Rocket, and Artificial Intelligence are team competitions.
  • Essay, Poster Design, and Logo Design are individual competitions.
  • The Mousetrap Car middle and high school divisions will present their Engineering Notebook presentation in person at SECME Nationals; therefore, for these divisions, no video presentation is required.
  • Activities, deadlines, and SECME competitions at the local, district, state, and regional levels are determined by the SECME Member University or Competition Host. Participation is encouraged at all levels and divisions, including elementary, middle, and high school.
  • The Water Bottle Rocket Patch Design competition has been removed from both National and Regional Competitions.
  • VEX V5/VEX IQ Robotics takes a step back from the SECME competition, making way for something extraordinary. A fresh robotics contest, inclusive of all platforms and laser-focused on engineering, is set to debut in the 2024-2025 school year.
  • SECME National Office has a new logo. Please start using one of the logos below in your documents.
Contacts

If you have any questions regarding the national competition, please feel free to contact us at SECME@eng.ufl.edu. For other inquiries, including questions about the regional competitions, we kindly recommend reaching out to your regional host/partner university.