Battle of the Brains KC

Battle of the Brains KC is a free, K-12 STEM competition where student teams design exhibit concepts for Science City. Organized by the Burns & McDonnell Foundation, the winning concept becomes a permanent exhibit and many schools receive STEM grants, fostering creativity and teamwork.

Battle of the Brains KC, organized by the Burns & McDonnell Foundation, is a prestigious no-cost K-12 STEM competition in the Kansas City metro area. Student teams from public, private, parochial, or home-based schools design innovative, educational exhibit concepts for Science City. One winning concept is constructed as a permanent exhibit, while numerous STEM grants totaling over $155,000 are awarded to schools. It promotes teamwork, creativity, and STEM skills among thousands of students.

Competition Details

Judging Criteria

Judging is conducted in multiple phases by panels of Burns & McDonnell and Science City STEM professionals, evaluating creativity, educational value, feasibility, and alignment with STEM principles. Entries are initially screened for compliance, then assessed and ranked by experts. The top 20 proposals, 10 from each division, advance to finalists. Judging accounts for 70% of the final ranking, with the remaining 30% determined by a public online vote accessible nationwide. Final decisions are made based on combined scores.