The 45th Annual IUSD Science Fair, sponsored by Irvine Public Schools Foundation in partnership with Broadcom Foundation, was a resounding celebration of student curiosity and ingenuity. This year marked a new milestone for the district, with 531 students from grades 6–12 rising to the challenge. Together, they presented 413 original projects, showcasing a deep commitment to scientific discovery and engineering excellence.
The students had the opportunity to share their findings with Irvine’s STEM professionals, who volunteered as judges to mentor and encourage the next generation of innovators. From this impressive pool, 150 projects were invited to represent IUSD at the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair, continuing their journey of academic exploration.
Special Awards
Forty-six students in Grades 6-8 were selected to advance to the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge, the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students.
Thirty-seven of the projects received special recognition from the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) for their focus on water quality, conservation, and sustainability. These students will be invited to share their projects at an upcoming IRWD Board meeting.
Harrison Gu, a 7th grader at Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, received the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize for his project VisionShield: Adaptive Grid Dimming Visor for Real-Time Sun Glare Mitigation. By developing an adaptive grid-dimming visor to mitigate real-time sun glare, Harrison addressed a critical road safety hazard with a high-tech, targeted solution.
Broadcom Foundation’s "Coding with Commitment" Prize was awarded to Daniel Zhai, Violet Bian, and Jeremy Bian (6th Grade, Turtle Rock Elementary). They were recognized for their Bike Safety and Surrounding Awareness Sensor. The team engineered a "digital rear-view mirror" that uses a proximity map to alert riders of blind-spot dangers.
These projects represent only a small showing of the tremendous scientific and engineering inquiries taking place throughout the District. The IUSD community is incredibly proud of every student who took on the challenge of a science fair project this year. Their success is a testament to their hard work and the unwavering support of the teacher advisors and families who championed them throughout the process.
Projects submitted to the 45th Annual IUSD Science Fair can be viewed at bit.ly/SFIUSD2026.