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Kids Count Grant

Beaverton Science Expos

BEF, Beaverton and Hillsboro School Districts partnered to put on a robust science expo program in 2025. BEF focused on empowering middle school students to see themselves as scientists who are capable of problem solving, discovery, and knowledge creation.

STEAM

Funded by: Analog Devices, Community Support, Genentech, Intel, Synopsys Foundation, Vernier Science Foundation

Five Oaks Middle School Science Fair supported by Beaverton Education Foundation

At A Glance:

BEF Investment: $20,000

427

Participants in the 2025 Beaverton Science Expos

4,000

Middle School students participated in school science fairs

BEF helped boost participation in competitive science fairs in 2025 and focused on building a pipeline of emerging young scientists at the middle school level.

In a partnership among BEF and the Beaverton and Hillsboro School Districts, the High School Science Expo was held on March 6, 2025, with 115 projects presented by 132 students. Of these, eight projects went on to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair, and Beaverton students ultimately won several prizes and special awards, including 2nd place in Math, 3rd place in Biomedical Engineering, and 3rd place in Robotics and Intelligent Machines.

To build a pipeline of young scientists, BEF helped establish school-wide STEM fairs at additional middle schools across Beaverton with a push for broader participation by all students. From these, 236 projects by 295 students were presented at the Middle School Science Expo on March 13th and many of these emerging scientists went on to compete at the Northwest Science Expo, the state-level competition event.

A favorite moment was hearing a student say to their teacher, 'can you believe it? I won third place in Chemistry in the whole state! Me! I did that in...8th grade!' This is exactly the outcome we are hoping for: creating opportunities for students to see their own amazing potential

Beaverton Science Fair Coordinator

We had our first 8th grade STEM expo this year and had great family engagement. All students completed a STEM project, and about 70% showed up to the fair with their families. With a taco truck and shaved ice, everyone enjoyed our community night

Tumwater MS teacher

Our fair was packed with families exploring the projects. Younger students were given 'passports' to take notes on the various projects, this was also a huge hit.

Mountain View MS teacher

I loved talking with students about their posters and I could see how proud they were of their discoveries.

Parent

Empowering Students Through BEF Kids Count Grants

What are Kids Count Grants? These BEF awards fund initiatives that spur innovative learning opportunities by extending the school day or providing resources during the summer to avoid the "summer slide" and return students to school ready to learn in the fall.

Harnessing the Sun: 8th Graders to Engineer a Sustainable Future

Beaverton eighth graders are diving into the world of renewable energy through a new hands-on science unit designed to bridge the gap between classroom concepts and real-world career paths. This project-based learning experience empowers students to explore the impacts of energy production while building the technical skills needed for Oregon’s growing clean energy workforce.

Transforming Middle Schoolers’ Success in Math

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Positive Early Results for After-School Academic Support

In the 2025-26 academic year, Beaverton Education Foundation is investing in after school academic support for English language learner students at 4 Beaverton School District Title I elementary schools. Each school is taking a slightly different approach, and the mid-year results are all pointing toward successful outcomes for these students.