Join us in celebrating the launch of Excellence in Science, a new Mensa Foundation program that turns curiosity into hands‑on discovery through a series of activities and projects!
If you’ve ever watched a child take apart a toy to see how it works or stop mid-walk to inspect a particularly interesting rock, you’ve seen the first sparks of scientific inquiry. That spark is precious, and we know from research that children benefit enormously when science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts show up early and often in their lives. Kids are natural scientists; they make observations, perform investigations, recognize patterns, and, as anyone who has spent enough time around kids will know, they ask a lot of questions. When we encourage these behaviors, kids develop stronger problem-solving, logic, and reasoning skills, confidence in their ability to learn, and resilience when learning isn’t so easy. In short, kids who get to play, wonder, and experiment with STEM concepts are better prepared for a lifetime of learning.
Excellence in Science is designed to help children (along with their families and teachers) create dozens of those sparks to fuel a passion for science.
Building on the success of our Excellence in Reading program, Excellence in Science invites learners of all ages to explore the physical world through simple, research‑based activities that promote curiosity and self-directed learning. Each activity guides participants to plan, observe, test, and reflect, so they can see how the world works and practice real problem‑solving. They’ll explore hands-on experiments, research-based investigations, creative projects, and reflection prompts designed to help them see themselves as scientific thinkers.
What’s Inside
Each badge invites participants to:
- Ask questions about real-world phenomena. Why does a mini-rocket go higher when it’s lighter? How does sound travel through different materials? How does an organism’s physical characteristics help it adapt to its environment?
- Explore, measure, observe, and draw their own conclusions across a variety of science disciplines, including Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Forces and Motion, and more.
- Connect their discoveries back to scientific principles, big ideas, and technologies they see and use in their daily lives.
Once they’ve completed all the necessary badge activities, they’ll receive a commemorative certificate and a T-shirt.
Who it’s for
Everyone. Excellence in Science is free and open to all, no Mensa membership required. Parents can use it for after‑school, weekend, and summer break adventures. Teachers can plug activities into lessons or clubs. Homeschool groups, libraries, and community programs can add it to their offerings. Adults who love learning are welcome, too. We’ve designed the activities to use everyday materials, adaptable to different ages, interests, and ability levels. If you can ask “How does that work?” and “What can I try?” Excellence in Science is for you.
Why it matters
Excellence in Science advances the Mensa Foundation’s mission to unleash intelligence with free, high‑quality resources. Intelligence isn’t just something you measure — it’s something you use to better yourself and the world. By connecting research‑based activities to everyday settings, we help learners turn ideas into action.
How to participate
- Visit the Excellence in Science page.
- Download the right workbook for your scientist. We offer workbooks in four grade-level bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12).
- Complete the required activities for each badge.
- Submit your completed badge sheet and order form to receive your certificate and T‑shirt.
If you already enjoy Excellence in Reading, this program is a natural companion. Reading expands worlds in the mind. Science explores the world in your hands. Together they build habits that power a lifetime of learning.
Start your first badge today and see where curiosity leads.
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