Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2026 Awards Winners Announced

Certified classroom teachers have chosen the best STEM and AI education products of 2026. The Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2026 Awards, the only awards program judged by science and STEM educators, named 39 winners across 39 categories on August 25, 2026, including the first-ever Educators Pick Best of AI winners. The full list is below.

Asheville, N.C., Aug. 25, 2026 — The Teich Group and Catapult X today announced the winners of the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2026 Awards, the only awards program judged by science and STEM educators. The winners listed below represent the best STEM education products of 2026, chosen by certified classroom teachers. New for 2026 is Educators Pick Best of AI, a dedicated program in which educators judge the best products and services for AI in education. The awards program, operated in partnership with MCH Strategic Data, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), and the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), spotlights innovative products, technologies, and services that are changing the world of STEM education and helping teachers discover the best STEM resources for their classrooms.

“Every district is asking the same back-to-school question: which AI tools can teachers trust?” says Daylene Long, founder of the Best of STEM Awards and the Educators Pick Best of AI awards. “Our judges answer it the only way that counts, with certified classroom teachers testing for safe, responsible use. The new Educators Pick Best of AI winners span seven subcategories in the category’s first year. It’s a striking turn for a program that launched in 2020, when remote learning shaped nearly every entry. This year, hands-on learning in science, STEM, and CTE was fiercely competitive. Students are back at the lab bench, and educators are the ones deciding what makes the cut.”

STEM educator judges from across the country evaluated and validated each award entry’s classroom suitability. Award judges have certified that this year’s winners are reliable tools teachers can trust for award-winning STEM curricula, math intervention programs, after-school and out-of-school-time STEM programs, and the latest STEM kits for hands-on learning. In the new Educators Pick Best of AI category, judges reviewed top AI teaching tools for safe, responsible classroom use.

What makes these awards different? Certified classroom teachers, specialists, and district leaders choose every winner, and educators rate each entry on a Net Promoter Score (NPS). Whether you’re a classroom teacher looking for hands-on science kits, a CTE director building career and technical education pathways, or a curriculum leader seeking professional development for STEM teachers, these are the solutions your peers have tested and loved.

Led by Annie Galvin Teich, president of The Teich Group, this year’s judges included An Nguyen, Carrie Robledo, Erin Barr, Jamica Craig, Jason Aldridge, Kim Collazo, Dr. Linda Johnson-McClinton, Dr. Omah M. Williams-Duncan and Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth.

Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2026 Awards Winners

Educators Pick Best of AI for AI Literacy

AI Foundations from CodeAI (formerly Code.org)

Educators Pick Best of AI for AI Professional Development

AI Teaching Assistant from CodeAI (formerly Code.org)

Educators Pick Best of AI for K–12 Enrichment

Gardyn from Gardyn for Schools

Educators Pick Best of AI for K–5 Digital and AI Literacy

Inquisitive Science K-5 from Inquisitive Science K-5

Educators Pick Best of AI for Middle School/High School

Microsoft FarmBeats for Students from Pitsco Education

Educators Pick Best of AI for K–8 Coding

Mix & Move with AI from CodeAI (formerly Code.org)

Educators Pick Best of AI for Computer Science

Web Lab from CodeAI (formerly Code.org)

Best Hands-On Materials for OpenSciEd

Carolina Certified Version of the OpenSciEd Physics 3 Variable Cart with Brake Kit from Carolina® Science

Best Professional Development

Online and In-Person Professional Development from STEM Education Works

Best of STEM Curricular Materials: Pre-K to Grade 2

Inquisitive Science K-5 from Inquisitive Science K-5

Best of STEM for Data Collection & Analysis

Sparkvue from PASCO Scientific

Best of STEM for Environmental Science

Healthy Soil, Healthy Food from JASON Learning

Best of STEM for Forensics

Forensic Entomology: Bugs & Guts Kit from Carolina® Science

Best of STEM for Mathematics

STEMscopes Math from Accelerate Learning Inc.

Best of STEM for Out of School Time for Early Learning

ABCmouse from Age of Learning

Best of STEM for Out of School Time for Middle and High School

Oceans to Orbits from Oceans to Orbits

Best of STEM for Space Science

Carolina Kits 3D: Earth and Space Science: Stellar Origin of the Elements Kit from Carolina® Science

Best of STEM for Engineering Education

PLTW Engineering from Project Lead The Way

Best of STEM: Hands-on Learning for High School

Drone Infinity from Pitsco Education

Best of STEM: Hands-on Learning for K–12

Gardyn from Gardyn for Schools

Best of STEM: Hands-on Learning for Middle School

PLTW Gateway from Project Lead The Way

Social Impact Award: Developing Citizen Scientists

Water Matters from JASON Learning

Trailblazer: Biotechnology Innovator

BacTalk Cell Signaling Kit from Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Trailblazer: Early Learning (Pre-K–6)

ABCmouse from Age of Learning

Trailblazer: Immersive Reality (AR/VR)

EduverseSTEM from Avantis Education, creators of ClassVR

Trailblazer: Inspiring Computational Thinking

SAE International’s A World In Motion® (AWIM®): Computer Science Series from SAE International

Trailblazer: Middle School STEM—Engineering Design

YES Middle School from Museum of Science

Trailblazer: Middle School STEM—Science Investigations

Gizmos Investigations from ExploreK12

Trailblazer: Middle School STEM—Sports-Based Learning

STEM Sports® from STEM Sports

Trailblazer: Phenomena-Based Teaching and Learning

Gizmos STEM Cases from ExploreK12

Trailblazer: Simulations for STEM

Gizmos STEM Cases from ExploreK12

STEM educators interested in becoming a judge for the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2027 Awards should contact Teich at ateich@theteichgroup.net. For more information about the awards program, visit www.bestofstemawards.com. See the 2026 finalist announcement for the full field of finalists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who chooses the Educators Pick Best of STEM® Awards winners?

Certified classroom teachers, specialists, and district leaders. Every entry is evaluated by STEM educator judges who rate it on a Net Promoter Score (NPS), and finalists are then put in front of thousands of STEM educators. No vendor, editor, or industry panel selects the winners.

How many products won a 2026 Educators Pick Best of STEM® Award?

Thirty-nine products earned winner recognition across 39 categories in 2026, spanning science disciplines, STEM, career and technical education (CTE), and the new Educators Pick Best of AI program.

What is Educators Pick Best of AI?

Educators Pick Best of AI is a new program for 2026 in which certified educators judge AI products and services for education, with a focus on safe, responsible classroom use. Seven winners were named in its first year, in categories ranging from AI literacy to K–8 coding and AI professional development.

Who operates the Best of STEM Awards?

The awards are operated by The Teich Group and Catapult X in partnership with MCH Strategic Data, the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), and the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). Finalists were announced August 4, 2026, and winners on August 25, 2026.

How can I enter the 2027 awards or become a judge?

Entries for the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2027 Awards open in spring 2027. STEM educators interested in judging should contact Annie Galvin Teich, The Teich Group, at ateich@theteichgroup.net.

About Catapult X

Founded by Daylene Long, Catapult X is a market and product development company that consults exclusively with science and STEM/STEAM education and CTE industry partners—organizations, businesses, and associations—to amplify educator voices through market research that edtech companies trust with their most critical business decisions. Long catapults brand, product, and sales growth through alignment of data and strategy, using progressive research techniques and customer discovery. Long publishes national surveys on STEM education and STEM marketing infographics to guide edtech marketers across the globe. Long is an affiliate member of the Council of State Science Supervisors, a member of NSELA, and a twenty-year member of NSTA. Long connects her clients to administrators, educators, distributors, and media to build strong global partnerships. Follow Catapult X on LinkedIn.

About MCH Strategic Data

MCH Strategic Data is a first-class leading provider of data and technology solutions in education, religion, healthcare, and government. MCH is dedicated to providing superior solutions through its ongoing investment in people, data and technology. Learn more at www.mchdata.com or find them on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About NABT

Since its establishment in 1938, the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) has been the recognized “leader in life science education.” Thousands of educators have joined NABT to share experiences and expertise with colleagues from around the globe, keep up with trends and developments in the field, and grow professionally. For more information about NABT, please visit www.NABT.org.

Media contact: Annie Galvin Teich, The Teich Group, ateich@theteichgroup.net