The 2025-2026 Chicago Student STEM Exhibition Calendar of Events

  NOTE: Dates in RED are tentative and subject to change, dates in BLACK are confirmed.
This calendar is subject to change at any time. Please check back as necessary.


                                     
25-26

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DEADLINES
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Letter of Intent to Participate in the STEM Exhibition
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Peoples Gas Middle School Club Application
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Endorsements from Outside Research  Facility
(also see this)

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Endorsements not Covered by the Above
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Mini and Maxi Grant Applications
(Here or here)
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IJAS Cover Design
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Essay Papers
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  Judging Volunteers
More information is available here.
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Scholarship Applications

September 2025
 

October 2025


10/17/25   DUE DATE for the receipt of the Letter of Intent to Participate in the STEM Exhibition.


November 2025

TBD Peoples Gas Middle School STEM Club application due.  Application form here.


TBD DUE DATE  for appropriate endorsement forms with supporting documents for projects conducted in a university, hospital or research facility under the supervision of a doctor, professor or scientist.  These documents MUST be submitted to the Scientific Review Committee member listed on the forms prior to the beginning of the project. 
Endorsements must be signed and submitted by teacher sponsors ONLY.


11/7/-
12/19/25 
Suggested dates for local school STEM Exhibitions.

Regional STEM Exhibition and Symposium Registration.
Only Abstracts/Safety Sheet (signed by student(s) and sponsor) Endorsements (if needed) will be required for registration.
Students will bring full paper with them to their Regionas STEM Exhibition.


TBD DUE DATE for MINI research grant applications for pre-approval



December 2025

1TBD DUE DATE for informed consent certification, human, vertebrate, vertebrate tissue, microbiology, and DNA  endorsement requests to be received by the Scientific Review committee member listed on the appropriate form.  NOTE Endorsement requests MUST be made PRIOR to experimentation in order to ensure the safety of the test subject(s) and/or the scientist.  The project plans are reviewed by the Scientific Review Committee and, if safe, the endorsement is granted and the experiment may be carried out.  Permission to carry out an experiment CANNOT be given to one that has already been completed.  NOTE: Endorsements and additional documentation for projects conducted at a university, hospital or research facility under the supervision of a doctor, professor or scientist must submitted to the Scientific Review Committee member listed on the forms  by November 15, 2025
Endorsements must be signed and submitted by teacher sponsors ONLY.


TBD DUE DATE for IJAS COVER DESIGNS - mail to IJAS Cover Design c/o CPS Student Science Fair, Inc., P.O. Box 803945, Chicago, IL  60680-3945


12/6/25- 1/25/26 Regional STEM Exhibition Registration for all Projects, Symposium Papers (see this page) and Essays (see this page).

Only Abstracts/Safety Sheet (signed by student(s) and sponsor) Endorsements (if needed) will be required for registration. Students will bring full paper with them to their Regionals STEM Exhibition


January 2026

1/10/26 In-Person North/Central Schools Regional STEM Exhibition with Awards Ceremony


1/17/26 In-Person South/Central Schools Regional STEM Exhibition with Awards Ceremony


1/23/26 City STEM Exhibition Finalist Registration.
Submission deadline for all Symposium Papers and Essays.


1/25/26 DUE DATE Judge's approval as a Level II volunteer. CPS policy now mandates that ALL prospective judges be approved Level II Volunteers. More information is available here.  
NOTE:  If you were approved for any Regional Exhibition or the Exhibition last year, you STILL need to be re-approved.


1/31/26 Deadline for applying to be a judge at the City Exposition
 
February  2026
 
2/5/26
In-Person Symposium Presentations at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry


2/6/26 In-Person CPS STEM Exhibition Setup Student In Morning with Judging in Afternoon at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry


2/7/26 In-Person Special Awards/ISEF Judging and the 6th Grade Luncheon at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry


2/8/26 In Person Awards Ceremony Griffin Museum of Science and Industry


TBD DUE DATE for Maxi and Mini Research Grant applications to TBA


TBD The top 3 Essay winners will receive notification

March  2026
 



April 2026

4/3/26 Scholarship Applications due


4/20-
 24/26
 In-Person Scholarship Interviews


4/24-
 25/26
In-Person Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) State Science Fair at University of Illinois - Carbondale, Illinois


May 2026

5/9-
15/26

In-Person International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona


TBD DUE DATE for final Mini and Maxi Research Grant report to TBA


5/20/26 In-Person Scholarship Awards Ceremony

June 2026
 



Last update 9/26/2025 by R. Coleman