AspireED teaches at the 2026 National STEM Festival, Washington D.C.

The 2026 National STEM Festival in Washington D.C. took place on June 25-27. Sponsored by EXPLR in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the National STEM Festival spotlights top high school and middle school innovators (ages 13-18) from across the United States.

AspireED felt privileged to exhibit on both VIP Day (June 25) and Open Build Day (June 27) - a free public exposition with 20+ hands-on STEM experiences and teen innovation showcases. 3,000 attendees ranging in age from 3-86 years old came out in full force and encountered drones, virtual reality goggles, a robotic dog, do-it-yourself lava lamps, and much more.

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STEM education booth included hands-on activities involving ultraviolet light, the physics behind the mysterious rattleback, and science trivia where students could win one of 200 STEM kits and other novelty science-themed prizes. Some of our youngest visitors proved to be the household STEM experts, delightfully stumping their (very proud) parents. Some families even returned back to the booth 2-3 times.

It was two fun-filled days of learning and inspiration!

AspireED's teaching team at the National STEM Festival: Sarone Terefe (Babson College), Alyssa Huang (The Branson School), Veronica McMahon (Smith College), Stella Schreiber (UVA)

Of note, AspireED met and interviewed several National STEM Champions at the National STEM Festival, who showcased their breakthrough projects in AI, health and medicine, aerospace, sustainability and more. Those interviews will be shared in upcoming podcasts and will truly inspire you, so stay tuned!