Boston college EWBscience & Engineeringcompetition 2027

For Middle and High School Students

Priority Registration DeadlineDecember 4, 2026

Step into:

Science
Engineering
Big Ideas

This challenge is for you if you're interested in:

  • You're interested in STEM
  • You want to challenge yourself and compete globally
  • You want to build a solid STEM profile

Summary

Preliminary Round

Online challenge with multiple choice and fill-in the blank questions

Semi-Final Round

Present science solution through recorded video

Final Round

Present science solution live on zoom

Team Size

2-5 students from the same school

Age categories

Middle School (Grades 6-8) and High School (Grades 9-12)

World STEM League

Option to participate in World STEM League

About Boston Engineers Without Borders

Engineers Without Borders is a non-profit which seeks to develop medical, sanitation, and water infrastructure with countries around the globe, and works with them to find solutions that will promote equity and improve quality of life in their communities.

The Boston College chapter of Engineers Without Borders chapter is a student-run organization focused on using Human-Centered Engineering practices to support water distribution and extraction infrastructure with local partners in Mkutani, Tanzania. From Chestnut Hill to Mkutani, we are a team of student engineers, project managers, and advocates committed to building infrastructure that empowers communities and creates tangible change across the globe.

About the World STEM League

BC EWB Science & Engineering Competition is part of the World STEM League. In the League, students compete across multiple competitions throughout the League Year, allowing them to:

  • practice repeatedly
  • track their improvement over time
  • collaborate with teammates across competitions

This creates a cycle of growth: compete, learn, refine, and improve.

Distinguish Yourself at the BC EWB Competition

Calling all aspiring scientists and engineers! Step into this global competition designed to push your knowledge, curiosity, and creativity to the next level. Begin by testing your skills in an online test, then advance to developing and presenting your own solution to a real-world problem through video and live presentations. Each stage is an opportunity to grow, think critically, and stand out.

Whether you go one round or all the way to the finals, you’ll gain valuable experience applying STEM to meaningful challenges—so take the first step and rise to the challenge.

Why Join the Boston College EWB Competition?

Build your profile

Build a strong academic profile for university and internships

Gain real-world experience

Work on challenges inspired by real global problems

Compete and Collaborate

Work alongside peers who are as driven and ambitious

How does the challenge work?

Team size

Team size: 2-5 students per team (all team members must be from the same school)

Age Categories

Middle School Category

Grade: 6 - 8 (Year 7 - 9)

High School Category

Grade 9 - 12 (Year 10 - 13)

What do teams need to do?

Preliminary round: Test

Middle School Category: No deep knowledge of any particular subject required. The test will focus on general knowledge, real problems, and critical thinking.

High School Category: Requires basic biology, chemistry, physics, and math knowledge to solve problems. The test will focus on critical thinking and real world applications.


Semi-final round:

Semi-finalist teams will have one week to develop a solution to a science or engineering problem and present their work through a recorded video.


Final round: Live Zoom presentation

Finalist teams will have two weeks to come up with solution(s) to a science or engineering problem and present their solution to a judging panel.

Key dates and deadlines

Registration Deadlines and Participation Fees

Priority Deadline

Deadline: December 4, 2026

Fees: US$35 per student

Regular Deadline

Deadline: January 4, 2027

Fees: US$45 per student

Late Deadline

Deadline: February 4, 2027

Fees: US$55 per student

REGISTER NOW!

Competition format

Preliminary round: Test

The preliminary round is open to all registered teams worldwide

February 6, 2027

Time
  • Asia Pacific: 12:00 noon Tokyo Time
  • Europe, Middle East, Africa: 9:00 AM London Time
  • North America, South America: 11:00 AM New York Time
Duration

1 hour

Format :
  • Online test (multiple choice, fill in the blanks, and free-response questions)
Middle School Category

No deep knowledge of any particular subject required. The test will focus on general knowledge, real problems, and critical thinking.

High School Category

Requires basic biology, chemistry, physics, and math knowledge to solve problems. The test will focus on critical thinking and real world applications.

  • Each team member will individually attempt the same set of test
  • The top two scores will be used to calculate the team’s total score

Semi-final round: Video

The top 3 performing teams from each grade level in the preliminary round (18 teams in total) will be invited to compete in the global semi-final round

Deadline: 11:59pm Eastern Time (New York Time), February 20, 2027

Format :

Semi-finalist teams will have one week to develop a solution to a science problem and present their work through a recorded 8-minute video.

Final round: Live Zoom presentation

The top 5 performing teams from the preliminary round in each of the Middle School and High School Categories will be invited to compete in the global final round

March 13, 2027 10:00am Eastern Time (New York Time)

Finalist teams will have one week to refine and improve their solutions from the semi-final round based on judges’ feedback, and present their final solution to a judging panel composed of professors and industry experts

Recognition

All participants will receive a Certificate for participation

Preliminary Round

HonorHonor
MeritMerit
Semi FinalistSemi Finalist

Semi- Final Round

FinalistFinalist
Individual Category

Top participants will receive individual honors, even if their teams may not win any awards.

Team category

Teams will be awarded based on the sum of their two highest individual scores.

Final Round

Global ChampionGlobal Champion
Global 1st Runner UpGlobal 1st Runner Up
Global 2nd Runner UpGlobal 2nd Runner Up

Join the Challenge

This competition is more than a contest; it’s a gateway to the world of engineering innovation. Register now to begin your journey into the exciting field of engineering, where you’ll apply creative problem-solving and technical skills to real-world challenges.


Fee Waiver Policy

A fee waiver is available for individual low-income students. To request one, please ask your school counselor or principal to email [email protected] from their official school email with the subject line "Fee Waiver Request." The email should include your email address and confirmation that you require a waiver.

All fee waivers must be requested before the regular deadline.

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