Science Conference for Teenagers: SCIENCE OR ELSE
Society of Teen Scientists presents
SCIENCE OR ELSE 2026
An Interdisciplinary Research & Arts Conference for Teens
high school, middle school, homeschool students
SCIENCE OR ELSE is a nonprofit educational conference program fiscally sponsored by NOPI INC, the Nonprofit Organization for Philanthropic Initiatives, a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 81-5089505.
The conference helps middle school, high school, and homeschool students engage with real science, present original work, meet scientists and mentors, and experience science as something they can actively create, not only study.
Enter code EARLYBIRD at checkout to lock in the $150 early-bird rate (through Sep 15).
How funds are used
Ticket revenue and donations support the nonprofit conference program, including student presentation sessions, invited speakers, event operations, venue costs, materials, and student-facing science programming.
Payments are processed through Givebutter under the fiscal sponsorship arrangement with NOPI INC. Donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Ticket purchases may not be fully tax-deductible because attendees receive admission to the event.
The lineup
- Invited talks from scientists in academia and industry
- Student poster sessions
- Student research talks
- Four creative contests
Include an abstract and anything else that helps us assess your contribution. We invite authentic contributions: original research you carried out, real data you collected or analyzed, an experiment or model you built, a replication study, or an honest work in progress with open questions.
Science happens in the lab, in nature around you, in daily life.
SCIENCE OR ELSE brings together teen researchers, science artists, and creators to present original work and connect with scientists from academia and industry. Present your research through traditional poster sessions and talks, or enter our creative contests.
The conference is open to teen scientists in North and South America, Europe, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Sounds of Science Song Contest
Music videos, original compositions, derivative work, raps
Tap to learn moreThe Sounds of Science Song Contest
The song stuck in your head about the problem you are trying to solve. A rap that makes your research unforgettable. A K-pop track about two black holes spiraling into one. Music that captures the feeling of a breakthrough. Sounds that make people feel what you feel when you look at the stars or into a cell.
Tap to flip back
Science Illustrated: a Science x Visual Arts Contest
Digital art, crafts, jewelry, drawings, paintings
Tap to learn moreScience Illustrated: a Science x Visual Arts Contest
Scientific illustration like botanical drawings or anatomical sketches. Microscopy images that reveal hidden worlds. Astrophotography from your backyard telescope. Lab photography capturing the glow of a reaction. Data visualization that makes patterns visible. Paintings of the organisms you research. Infographics that tell your research story.
Tap to flip back
Science 2050 Writing Contest
Essays on real-world science problems and grounded sci-fi
Tap to learn moreScience 2050 Writing Contest
Where a science problem you care about will stand in 2050, argued from evidence rather than hope. Grounded science fiction that starts from research as it actually works and follows it forward. The future you want, the one you are worried about, and the reasoning that gets you to either.
Tap to flip back
Laughing Matter: a Science Comedy Contest
Stand-up, sketches, satire
Tap to learn moreLaughing Matter: a Science Comedy Contest
The lab disaster that became a viral story. A stand-up bit on why your hypothesis was hilariously wrong. A sketch satirizing peer review or grant deadlines. Memes only fellow scientists would get. Comedy that makes science feel human and reminds everyone that being wrong is half the fun.
Tap to flip backA Society of Teen Scientists member turned Vance Joy’s “Riptide” into an astronomy song about star formation and nebulae, set to James Webb Space Telescope imagery.
How to enter
Send all contest entries by email to editor@teenscientists.org: articles, art, music, videos, and comedy. Please don't attach large files. Share them on Google Drive and include the link in your email.
Want to support the conference?
Support usSCIENCE OR ELSE is a nonprofit educational initiative operated under fiscal sponsorship through NOPI INC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EIN 81-5089505. Authentic Research Partners LLC supports the development and operation of the program. Google Ad Grants campaigns are used only to promote nonprofit educational initiatives and not unrelated commercial services.