Open Science Challenge

For high school students who care more about truth than flashy results.

Investigate a question. Document your process. Share what you learn.

Join the Pilot Cohort

Open Science Challenge

For high school students who care more about truth than flashy results.

Investigate a question. Document your process. Share what you learn.

Join the Pilot Cohort

Why This Exists

Many ambitious students genuinely love learning. Yet modern achievement culture often rewards polished performance over genuine inquiry.

OSC is a community of inquiry, not a competition. It was created for students who want opportunities to ask difficult questions, test ideas, revise their thinking, and pursue understanding even when there is no guarantee of success.

We believe intellectual exploration should be valued not only for the breakthroughs it sometimes produces, but also for the habits of mind it develops: curiosity, humility, persistence, and openness to follow evidence wherever it leads.

Many ambitious students genuinely love learning. Yet modern achievement culture often rewards polished performance more than genuine inquiry.

OSC was created for students who want opportunities to ask difficult questions, test ideas, revise their thinking, and pursue understanding even when there is no guarantee of success.

We believe inquiry should be valued not only for the achievements it produces, but also for the habits of mind it develops: curiosity, intellectual humility, persistence, and a willingness to follow evidence wherever it leads.

What Participants Do

Choose a question that genuinely interests you.

Investigate it using whatever tools are appropriate, including AI.

Document your process—not just your conclusions.

Share what you discover and learn from the work of others.

A student might replicate a famous psychology study, probe a local environmental question, analyze public data, document a failed experiment, or explore a historical mystery.

Choose a question that genuinely interests you.

Investigate it using whatever tools are appropriate, including AI.

Document your process—not just your conclusions.

Share what you discover and learn from the work of others.

You might replicate a famous psychology study, investigate a local environmental question, analyze public data, document a failed experiment, or explore a historical mystery.

Why OSC Is Different

Most educational programs focus on what students produce, but OSC also cares about how they think.

We draw inspiration from the open science movement, which emphasizes transparency, honesty, replication, and a willingness to revise beliefs in response to evidence.

These qualities become more important in a world where AI makes polished outputs easier to generate.

Recognition

OSC recognizes a wide variety of intellectual contributions. A careful replication may be as valuable as a novel finding. A well-documented null result may be as interesting as a positive result. A student who openly explains a mistake may contribute more than someone who presents a flawless-looking final product.

Recognition comes through feedback, engagement, and the opportunity to add to a growing body of student-led investigations. Inquiry is often portrayed as a solitary activity. In reality, ideas improve through conversation, critique, and collaboration.

OSC participants share process notes, discuss challenges, and learn from one another's investigations. While lighthearted competition can provide healthy motivation, competition is not the goal of OSC.

Pilot Cohort

OSC is still an experiment.

The first cohort will help shape the project's norms, traditions, and future direction. Participants will pursue independent investigations while building a new culture of inquiry.

How to Join

Questions? hello@opensciencechallenge.org