A Portsmouth student has earned a spot as one of 106 National STEM Champions selected by EXPLR. This achievement comes with an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where she’ll showcase her project at the National STEM Festival from March 19-22, 2025.
Jimin “Jennifer” Shon will join other top young innovators from across the U.S. and its territories at the festival. The National STEM Champions were chosen from students in grades 7-12 who submitted innovative STEM projects in six categories: Aerospace Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Future Food, Health and Medicine, Powering the Planet, and Tech for Good.
Jenny Buccos, Founder & CEO of EXPLR and Co-Director of the National STEM Festival, says, “We created the National STEM Festival to highlight the next generation of innovators – students who think big, lead dynamically, and create with real-world impact in mind.”
Each champion and a guardian will receive a free trip to the festival, where they’ll present their projects to the public, business leaders, and government officials. Champions also get to give free access to EXPLR’s educational streaming video and curriculum platform to a teacher of their choice.
EXPLR is presenting the National STEM Festival with support from co-presenting sponsors Autodesk and Broadcom Foundation, along with other organizations invested in advancing innovation and STEM education.
EXPLR, founded by Jenny Buccos and co-founded by Kari Byron, former Discovery Channel Mythbuster, and Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods, is committed to inspiring and engaging young innovators through this initiative.
