The You Be The Solution™ New Jersey Regional Challenge 2025 (formerly the You Be The Chemist Competition)—organized by the Urban League of Union County and BASF—will take place on February 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Rahway Recreation Center. This year’s regional competition is presented in partnership with KOBO with ReWORLD Waste.
“This is our third year hosting the Science Competition, and each year it gets better! We’re excited to welcome new schools and to continue expanding the event with hands-on experiments that expose students to different areas of science, said Crystal Orr, CEO and President of the Urban League of Union County. “We believe in making science fun and uplifting STEM so young people can see themselves in these fields.”
Designed to inspire curiosity and innovation, the event challenges middle school students to demonstrate their chemistry knowledge through an engaging, hands-on, team-based STEM competition. The You Be The Solution™ Challenge is the flagship program of the Chemical Educational Foundation (CEF) and offers a dynamic learning experience that builds critical thinking, communication, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving skills—tools essential for academic achievement and future careers.
Teams of three to four students in grades 5–8 compete by answering timed, science-based questions during the Regional Challenge. In addition, teams participate in a Video Challenge, where they develop and present a start-up company concept aimed at addressing sustainability issues and creating community-based solutions.