This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.

Search form

Announcing the White House Science Fair and Celebrating Girls Excelling in STEM

Summary: 
Students from around the country are headed to the 2014 White House Science Fair, which will include a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work.
President Obama at White House Science Fair 2

President Barack Obama gets down on his hands and knees as he looks at the inner workings of a robot that plays soccer, built by a team from Blue Bell, Pa., as he tours science projects on display in the State Dining Room of the White House. President Obama hosted the White House Science Fair for winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions. October 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Next week – on Tuesday, May 27 – the White House is going to be filled with robots, science projects, and more. Students from around the country are headed to the 2014 White House Science Fair hosted by President Obama, and we couldn’t be more excited. With students from a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions, this year’s Fair will include a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work.

Stay tuned, because this week, we’ll be previewing some of the amazing girls who will be presenting their projects at the White House Science Fair. Since day one, the President has been committed to getting more underrepresented groups, including women and girls, excited to excel at STEM subjects. For example, in the Administration’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top competition, President Obama granted states competitive preference if they demonstrated efforts to close the STEM gap for girls and other groups that are underrepresented. 

The President began the tradition of hosting White House Science Fairs in 2009 when he launched his Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire more girls and boys to excel in STEM subjects. As the President has noted, “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too."

In the run up to the Science Fair, we also want you to share your stories, and we want to highlight YOUR First Science Fair project. So for this Thursday’s Throw Back Thursday, tweet us a photo of your science fair projects and other STEM work from when you were a kid using #TBTsciencefair! Follow us here @WhiteHouse and @whitehouseostp as we plan to join in the fun as well.

To get us in the Science Fair frenzy, we’ve been reviewing the amazing videos, vines, and gifs from past years. You should too.


Raw Video: Marshmallow Launch at the White House Science Fair

Watch on YouTube


The 2013 White House Science Fair

Watch on YouTube


President Obama Tours the 2013 White House Science Fair

Watch on YouTube


Live from the White House Science Fair with LeVar Burton and Bill Nye

Watch on YouTube


The 2012 White House Science Fair

Watch on YouTube


The 2010 White House Science Fair

Watch on YouTube


Storify of the 2013 White House Science Fair