CEF’s You Be The Chemist Challenge® is a collaborative, multilevel student science competition that celebrates the science of chemistry and elevates STEM careers. 5th-8th grade students are eligible to compete in teams of three (3) or four (4).
Registration is now closed for the 2022-2023 Challenge cycle.
There will be two participation tracks for the 2022-2023 Challenge cycle – in-person and virtual. You can find a list of in-person Regional Challenges here. Team Coordinators must select a participation track when they register their team. This selection may not be changed unless local health guidelines change for the area in which a team will participate. Please click here to view participation tracks.
October 3, 2022
Challenge Registration and Team Submission opens
Rules and study material released
Teams can begin working on their video, to be submitted by March 6, 2023
December 30, 2022
Registration closes – EXTENDED TO JANUARY 31
January 20, 2023
In-person Regional Challenges begin (Qualifier results for in-person results must be submitted two weeks before in-person Regional Challenge)
In-Person Regional Challenges will take place between Friday, January 20 and Saturday, March 11
January 31, 2023
Registration closes – extended deadline
Team Submission closes – extended deadline
Deadline for Team Coordinators participating in-person to administer the Qualifier exam* – extended deadline
*If your in-person Regional Challenge takes place before January 31, the Qualifier must be administered two weeks before your Regional Challenge
March 11 & 18, 2023
Teams participating in the virtual track compete in the virtual Regional Challenge on one of these dates (selected during Challenge Registration), where they will answer multiple-choice and short-answer questions during the event. Teams must be identified before the virtual event. During the virtual event, students answer questions individually, and a student’s score is averaged with those of their teammates to calculate a team’s overall score.
March 31, 2023- extended deadline
Teams collaborate throughout the year to create a video based on a prompt exploring chemistry concepts that will be evaluated. All teams participating at an in-person or virtual Regional Challenge will create and submit a video. The deadline for video submission is March 31, 2023.
April 2023
State winners will be announced at the end of April.
June 13, 2023
The National Challenge will be held in person at the Westin Houston Memorial City in Houston, TX.
Get involved with the You Be The Chemist Challenge:
Participate as a Student: Students in grades 5-8 are welcome to participate in the Challenge.
Involve your Students (for Educators and Parents): Enroll your students to participate in the Challenge for free.
Sponsor: Provide financial support for the Challenge experience to students and educators in your community.
If you have any questions, you can visit our FAQ page or email challenge@chemed.org for more information on how to get involved with the You Be The Chemist Challenge.
