MESA Day

MESA Day is USC MESA's signature regional series of STEM-based competitions. For more information about Pre-MESA day, head over to our designated Pre-MESA Day page by clicking here. 
Picture
MESA Students preparing to show their complex machine

MESA Day 2027 - LA / Central Coast Region

Date: Saturday, April 24, 2027
Location: UCLA
Format: In-person for ALL competitions

​LA / Central Coast Regional MESA Day 2027 will be held in an in-person format for ALL competitions, including Coding Solutions and Team Math  Challenge. All participating team members are invited to this in-person competition day.

Please check back in March 2027 for additional information.

Other Competitions

USC MESA CoderZ League

USC MESA is excited to continue to offer middle school and high school teams an opportunity to compete in an online coding competition! League will be launched in October!

USC MESA League Dates: October 19 to November 16, 2026

The top 4 middle school teams and the top 4 high school teams will be announced on November 17 and will be invited to the USC MESA CoderZ League Finals.

Finals Date: Saturday, December 5, 2026
Location: USC University Park Campus

Please contact your MESA Advisor for more information.

Chargers STEM on the Sidelines Competition

Compete in an NFL-Style Ultimate Kickoff at SoFi Stadium - design, build, and code an autonomous vehicle that must travel a specified distance before kicking a 4-inch foam football for both accuracy and distance.

Who: High School teams of 3-5
When: November 21, 2026
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA

Registration Deadline: October 2, 2026
Note: Registration is on a first-come first-served basis until capacity is reached.

Congressional App Challenge

Every year, students in congressional districts are challenged to create and submit their original apps for a chance to win the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). Each challenge is district-specific. As U.S. Representatives we publicly recognize the winning teams and each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. Additional prizes may be available.

Students can register in either the congressional district they reside or attend school in. To find out your congressional district and if your district is participating in the Congressional App Challenge, please click here.

Entry Deadline: October 26, 2026

American Rocketry Challenge

The American Rocketry Challenge is the world's largest rocket contest with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing each year. The contest gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build and launch model rockets and hands-on experience solving engineering problems.

2027 Challenge
Objective: Design, build, and launch a rocket that cradles two raw eggs to an altitude of 800 feet and a flight duration between 37 and 40 seconds.

Registration Deadline: December 6, 2026
Due Date to submit flight results: April 4, 2027

eCYBERMISSION

eCYBERMISSION is a web-based STEM competition for students in grades 6-9.

For the competition, teams choose one of two paths:
Path 1: Scientific Inquiry – Investigating a problem.
Path 2: Engineering Design – Solving a problem
​
Deadline for Mini-Grant Application: November 11, 2026
Deadline for Team and Advisor Registration: February 24, 2027

National STEM Challenge

Your mission? Craft a STEM project that tackles a real-world challenge. Choose from one of the listed themes and use the scientific method or engineering design process.

Selected National STEM Champions will have travel and accommodation expenses covered to attend The National STEM Festival in Washington DC in October 2027. The weekend will be filled with invaluable opportunities for these future STEM leaders to gain knowledge and make life changing connections. 

Applications open: January 11, 2027
Applications close: April 11, 2027