If Spider-Man’s creator says STEM is inspiring and powerful, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to invent a superhero inspired by science?

Spidey’s creator Stan Lee, the comic book author and former head of Marvel Comics, has a foundation that focuses on literacy, education and the arts. That’s why he hopes students in grades 6 to 12 will dream up a STEM-powered superhero in the National Science Foundation’s Generation Nano competition. Winners can earn scholarships and present their comics and short videos work at the USA Science and Engineering Fair in Washington, D.C., in early April, 2018.

• Who: Individuals or teams of students in grades 6-12
• What: Create a written entry and either a comic or a 90-second video that illustrates your science-powered superhero in action.
• When: Entries are due Jan. 8, 2018.

Prizes: Cash – Scholarship

• First place winner receives $1,500 per team member.
• Second place winner receives $1,000 per team member.
• Teacher honorarium receives $500 — awarded to a teacher(s) that encouraged the first place teams / individuals on their journey.

Start here to learn about the competition. See storytelling and other resources. Register HERE.

Past winners include Dilatant, a crime-fighting superhero created by Hannah Kim and Daniel Kim from Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology:

Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features

Tags: comic books, Competitions for Students, Contest, Generation Nano, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, National Science Foundation, scholarships, Stan Lee, STEAM, STEM education, STEM superheroes, USA Science and Engineering Festival 2018, Video contest