STEM Competition

STEM Competitions : 2025–26 School Year

The 4C STEM Club is proud to offer students the opportunity to take part in three exciting STEM competitions during the 2025–26 school year. These events help students explore real-world challenges, build teamwork, and showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills.

Our planned competitions include:

You Be The Solution Challenge by Creating Exciting Futures in STEM (CEFInSTEM)
Lake County Robotics Competition by the College of Lake County (CLC)
Future City Competition by Discover Engineering (DiscoverE)

Here below, you’ll find details on each competition!

You Be The Solution Challenge

The 4C STEM Club is thrilled to offer students the opportunity to take part in the You Be The Solution Challenge, a national STEM competition organized by CEFInSTEM. This hands-on challenge encourages students to apply science and engineering concepts to real-world problems, fostering teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills while giving students the chance to represent the club in an exciting and competitive environment.

Learn more about Competition: https://www.cefinstem.org/programs/challenge/

Who Can Join?

For students in grades 5 through 8.
The club will place individual participants into teams after registration.
Teams work on both science questions and a video component. See rules on the CEF site Chemical Educational Foundation+1

Why Participate?

Gain hands-on STEM and problem-solving experience.
Collaborate with peers on creative solutions.
Build presentation and research skills.
Recognition, certificates, and possibly progression beyond regionals.
Represent 4C STEM Club with pride.

What Our Club Will Offer

Mentorship, coaching, and guidance through the process.
Study groups, resource sharing, and feedback sessions.
Help with team formation for individual registrants.
Assistance with registration steps, deadlines, and logistics.

How to Register

Complete STEM Competition Signup here: https://forms.gle/x4NFyToM8LZkyRrr6
Once registration closes, we will contact all registered students with further instructions, including team assignments, resources, and schedules.

Tentative Timeline & Key Dates

Registration Opens with club : October 1, 2025
Registration Closes with club : October 21, 2025
Preparation starts : October 24, 2025
Regional Events : January 17 – March 2, 2026
Video Submission Deadline : March 20, 2026
National Challenge : June 2 & 3, 2026

Practice Schedule

Practice meetings will be held in person at Buffalo Grove, IL.
Every Friday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
From October 2025 through March 2026.

Lake County Robotics Competition

The 4C STEM Club is thrilled to give students the chance to participate in the Lake County Robotics Competition, organized by the College of Lake County. This hands-on STEM event challenges students to design, build, and program robots to complete tasks, fostering teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation. The top teams from the competition will showcase their robots at the Lake County Maker Faire, the final event where participants demonstrate their projects to the community and compete for recognition.

Learn more about Competition : https://www.clcillinois.edu/news-and-events/events/lake-county-robotics-competition

Learn more about Lake County Maker Faire : https://lakecounty.makerfaire.com/news/

Who Can Join?

For students in grades 5 through 8.
The club will place individual participants into teams after registration.
Teams work on both robot design and programming components. See rules and competition details on the College of Lake County website here: https://www.clcillinois.edu/news-and-events/events/lake-county-robotics-competition

Why Participate?

Gain hands-on experience in robotics design, engineering, and programming.
Collaborate with peers to build and test innovative robotic solutions.
Develop critical thinking, teamwork, and technical skills.
Earn recognition, certificates, and awards for your team’s achievements.
Showcase your talent and represent the 4C STEM Club at the Lake County Maker Faire.

What Our Club Will Offer

Help with team formation and assist with registration, competition rules, deadlines, and logistics.
Communicate with the College of Lake County (CLC) for mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance throughout the robotics design and programming process.
Host practice sessions to help teams build, test, and improve their robots.
Provide resources, materials, and troubleshooting support to refine robot designs and strategies.

How to Register

Complete STEM Competition Signup here: https://forms.gle/x4NFyToM8LZkyRrr6
Once registration closes, we will contact all registered students with further instructions, including team assignments, resources, and schedules.

Tentative Timeline & Key Dates

Live Kickoff at CLC : January 10, 2026
Registration Opens with club : December 15, 2026
Registration Closes with club : January 10, 2026
Preparation starts : January 12, 2026
Challenge 1- Herding : February 7, 2026
Challenge 2 - Placing Balls : March 12, 2026
Finals at Lake County Maker : April 18, 2026

Practice Schedule

Practice meetings will be held in person at Buffalo Grove, IL.
Every Monday and Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
From January 2026 through April 2026.

Who Can Join?

For students in grades 5 through 8.
The club will place individual participants into teams after registration.
Teams complete both a city model and an engineering research project. Rules and competition details are available on the Future City website: https://futurecity.org/what-is-future-city/

Why Participate?

Gain hands-on experience in city planning, engineering, and sustainable design.
Collaborate with peers to research, design, and build innovative city models.
Develop critical thinking, teamwork, and project management skills.
Earn recognition, certificates, and awards for your team’s achievements.
Showcase your creativity and represent the 4C STEM Club at regional and national Future City events.

What Our Club Will Offer

Help with team formation and assist with registration, competition rules, deadlines, and logistics.
Communicate with DiscoverE and regional coordinators for mentorship, coaching, and technical guidance throughout the city model and engineering research process.
Host practice and planning sessions to help teams design, research, and refine their city models.

How to Register

Complete STEM Competition Signup here: https://forms.gle/x4NFyToM8LZkyRrr6
Once registration closes, we will contact all registered students with further instructions, including team assignments, resources, and schedules.

Tentative Timeline & Key Dates

Regional Competitions - January 2026
National Competitions - February 2026

Practice Schedule

Practice meetings will be held in person at Buffalo Grove, IL.
Every Sunday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
From October 2025 through February.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, student-led organization dedicated to empower STEM