Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Acting Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe joined students from across the Commonwealth in State College today for the Governor’s STEM Competition – an annual event that creates opportunities for students to take the STEM skills they’ve learned in the classroom and put them to use.
STEM skills are critical for preparing today’s K-12 learners to enter the workforce – a key priority of Governor Josh Shapiro’s vision to uplift all career paths and empower Pennsylvanians to chart their own course toward success. The Shapiro Administration has increased funding for Career and technical Education (CTE) and apprenticeships across Pennsylvania by nearly $65 million since taking office – a more than 50 percent increase. Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposal creates more opportunity for Pennsylvania students with a $5.5 million increase for CTE programs.
The Governor’s STEM Competition is open to students in grades 9 through 12 who attend a public, charter, or private school, a career and technical education center, or a student being homeschooled in Pennsylvania. This year’s theme, Harmonious Fusion: The Art and Science of STEAM, focuses on how the arts enhance STEM fields and blend the analytical and technical skills of STEM with the creativity and expressiveness of the arts.
“The Governor’s STEM Competition brings student innovation to life. These learners are turning big ideas into real solutions—applying what they’ve learned in the classroom and solving real-world challenges,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Their creativity, teamwork, and sense of purpose show us what’s possible when education empowers students to shape the future—for themselves and for Pennsylvania.”
Facilitated by the PDE, the Governor’s STEM Competition challenges and engages students from high schools around the Commonwealth to create teams that work together during the school year to research, design, and present a device or project that can help improve the lives of Pennsylvanians and fulfill real-world needs.
Highlights from the event included:
- Statewide Participation: 20 teams from various school districts, private schools, charter schools, and home schools;
- Showcase of Digital Creativity: students presented digital posters and prototypes representing STEM programs, clubs, and courses. These posters facilitated interactive discussions and feedback from judges and peers, accessible via QR codes; and
- Expert Judges: Industry experts evaluated student projects.
More information on the Governor’s STEM Competition is available on PDE’s website.