Title: Designing Humanity’s First Steps on Mars

Submission: https://forms.gle/HpkN21fmvrbwFMuh7

Important Dates:

March 13, 2026 – Deadline for STEAM Essay submission

March 23, 2026 – Announce for the STEAM Essay Contest awardees

April 25, 2026 – Award ceremony at the CESASC 2025 Annual Convention, Hilton Arcadia (123 W Huntington Dr, Arcadia, CA 91007)

 

Description:

For centuries, Mars has captured human imagination as a possible second home for humanity. Today, with rapid advances in space science, robotics, life support systems, and planetary science, the question is no longer if humans will go to Mars—but how we will land, survive, and build a sustainable future there.

CESASC invites K-12 students worldwide to participate in the 2026 STEAM Essay Competition, challenging young thinkers to design and imagine human missions to Mars. Participants are encouraged to combine science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) with social, ethical, and environmental reasoning to propose realistic and creative plans for humanity’s exploration of the Red Planet.

Your essay should explore how humans can land on Mars, live safely, work productively, and build resilient communities, while protecting both human life and the Martian environment.

Essay Format

In your essay, design a plan for human exploration of Mars.

You may address (but are not limited to) the following questions:

• How should humans prepare for a crewed Mars mission?
• What are the key scientific, engineering, and health challenges of living on Mars?
• How can humans obtain air, water, food, and energy on Mars?
• How should we protect human mental and physical health during long missions?
• What role should robots, AI, and automation play?
• How can future Mars settlements be sustainable, peaceful, and cooperative?
• What lessons from Earth—environmental, social, or historical—should guide our actions on Mars?

Students are encouraged to include diagrams, mission concepts, habitat designs, timelines, or artistic illustrations to support their ideas.

Submission Guidelines

• Eligibility: Open to all K-12 students, worldwide
• Individual or Team Submissions: Both accepted
• Format: PDF document
• Length: Maximum 10 pages, including figures and diagrams
• Content Requirement: At least one figure, diagram, or illustration
• Teams: List all team members on the first page
• Language: English
• Submission Link: (To be provided)
• Submission Deadline: March 13, 2026

Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of science, engineering, and STEAM education experts based on:

• Scientific accuracy and reasoning
• Creativity and originality
• Interdisciplinary thinking (science + society)
• Clarity of communication
• Feasibility and vision for the future