Competitions FAQs
Competitions are open to students in public, private, magnet, and home schools as well as the Informal STEAM Learning (ISL) teams. An example is the local Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Students can participate in only one team category (Mousetrap Car, AI Contests, Water Bottle Rocket) but have the option to also participate in individual competitions (Essay, Logo Design, Poster Design) if they choose to while being part of a team in one of the team categories.
- Register your SECME club/program on our website (Update Your Information)
- Reach out to your district coordinator listed here.
- If you can’t find your district information, contact us at secme@eng.ufl.edu
If you do not see your district’s information on this page, please email the SECME National Office at secme@eng.ufl.edu.
This competition year’s SECME theme is Space Is the Place.
For specific competition requirements, please refer to the guidelines.
Any team participating in categories exclusively at the national level (AI, Logo Design, and Posters) can compete directly at the national level.
Teams participating in categories including Essay, Mousetrap car, and Water Bottle Rocket need to compete in the regional first. Only teams who place 1st in their Regional Competitions can compete in nationals.
The video explanation is a maximum of 5 minutes long.
MP4
Only grades Pre-K – 2nd in the Essay Competition will create illustrations.
No, all illustrations must be hand-drawn.
- Upper Elementary School Division (Grades:3-5) – 350 – 500 words
- Middle School Division (Grades: 6-8) – 500 – 750 words
- High School Division (Grades: 9-12) – 750 – 1,000 words
Please contact us at SECME@eng.ufl.edu for any questions regarding national competitions. For questions regarding your regional competitions, please contact your district first.
Teams need two clear 2-liter bottles.
A team will be automatically disqualified if there is: metal, glass, hard plastic, spikes, antennas, or rocks included in their build.
The maximum budget is $10.
Cost is calculated on the amount of a product, not bulk price. Example: 24 party hats were purchased for $8.00. If the student team only used one party hat, the cost would be for one hat.
Suggested suppliers:
- Pitsco or your local recycling facility
This year’s challenge is for your car to have a bail length no longer than 15.24 centimeters (6 inches)
Only the locking lever and the bait hook may be removed. The bail can be modified.
Every mousetrap car must have a minimum of 3 wheels.
The mousetrap car middle and high school divisions will present their Engineering Notebook presentation in person at regional and national competitions; therefore, no video presentation is required for these divisions.
- You can purchase clinometers from online websites like Amazon, Nasco Education, etc.
- You can build a paper clinometer with simple materials like a straw and a weight, like a paperclip or a washer, and use it to measure trees.
SECME National Office has a new logo. Please start using one of the logos below in your documents.
