TEKNOFEST International Children's Science Competition

TEKNOFEST International Children's Science Competition is an international science competition organized to introduce children at an early age to technology and science in line with Türkiye’s national technology initiative. It was first implemented in 2025 as part of TEKNOFEST. The competition aims to increase primary school students’ interest in science worldwide, develop their scientific thinking skills, and enable them to produce creative projects.

The primary objective of the competition is to help children develop knowledge and skills in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, cultivate curiosity in these areas, and enable them to transform learned concepts into concrete projects. The competition seeks to enhance children’s abilities in creative thinking, problem solving, developing innovative approaches, teamwork and communication, and learning and applying scientific methods.

The TEKNOFEST International Children's Science Competition is open to all children aged 6 to 14. It targets primary school students receiving education in Türkiye and abroad. Participants may apply individually or in teams of up to six members. Although the official language of the competition is Turkish, submissions in other languages are permitted to encourage international participation.

The competition is organized around three main themes to help children develop scientific thinking in diverse areas:

• Nature, Environment and Sustainability
• Astronomy and Space
• Healthy Living

These categories encompass projects that aim to provide scientific and creative solutions to today’s most important global challenges. Children design eco-friendly, innovative and practical projects inspired by everyday life.

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The competition follows a three-stage evaluation process:

1. Project Preliminary Evaluation Report: Teams or individual participants prepare reports outlining the core ideas, objectives, and proposed solutions of their projects.
2. Semi-Final Presentation or Video: Participants who pass the preliminary stage present their projects in detail through a presentation or short video to the jury.
3. Prototype and Final Presentation: Finalists develop a working prototype of their project and present it to the jury alongside a scientific presentation.

The International Children’s Science Competition enables children to experience science in an engaging and enjoyable way. It contributes to the early development of critical thinking, communication, research, analysis, and presentation skills. It also encourages children to pursue careers in science by providing them with a platform to showcase their scientific achievements at an international level.

The competition supports the vision of Türkiye’s National Technology Initiative by encouraging the younger generation to play an active role in technology production. The overarching goal of TEKNOFEST — “to increase public interest in technology and develop domestic, national production capacity” — is extended to younger age groups through the Children’s Science Competition. Thus, the journey of scientific discovery begins in childhood.