Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains

2021 COMPETITION COMPLETE

Congratulations to Raytown Challenge for their grand-prize winning submission, “Riveting Robotics”!

Battle of the Brains operates on a two-year program cycle: year one is the competition phase and year two is the build phase. The next competition cycle will be Fall 2023. Please connect with our social accounts to stay up to date.

WHAT IS BATTLE OF THE BRAINS?

Inspired by kids, built by Burns & McDonnell. It’s Kansas City’s most exciting K-12 STEM competition — Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains. Metro area schools can earn a piece of $155,000-plus in grants for STEM education by dreaming up an exhibit concept for Science City — and one student team sees its idea come to life in a big way! It’s a fantastic, no-cost experience for students and teachers — thinking big, exploring new things, collaborating and having fun. So far, more than 25,000 students have benefited from this immersive educational opportunity. Battle of the Brains operates on a two-year cycle: one for competition and one for exhibit build-out. The next competition cycle will take place in 2021.

WHAT IS YOUR TEAM’S CONCEPT FOR THE NEXT $1 MILLION EXHIBIT AT SCIENCE CITY?

INTRODUCING STEP RIGHT UP!

On March 23, 2021, Tonganoxie Middle School students unveiled Step Right Up!, Science City’s newest exhibit that explores STEM concepts through classic carnival games. More than half of the nearly 100,000 square feet of the science center’s interactive exhibit space has been inspired by the creativity of Kansas City area kids through the Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains competition.

BURNS & McDONNELL FOUNDATION

The drive to strengthen communities is the heartbeat of Burns & McDonnell, in our work and with the Burns & McDonnell Foundation. We’ve invested more than $8 million in STEM grant programs because, for us, the opportunity to light a spark for STEM in a kid’s life is pretty amazing. Battle of the Brains is the biggest part of that.

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The Partnership

For the employee-owners of Burns & McDonnell and Science City, it’s in our DNA to inspire a passion for STEM in the next generation. Our vision and mission is to encourage these future leaders to push beyond their expectations — to dream big, plan smart and take initiative.