Pasadena Students Compete, Then Explore as Science Olympiad and Community Fest Share One Campus

Hundreds of Pasadena Unified School District students will compete in hands-on science and engineering challenges Saturday morning at John Muir High School, and by noon the same campus will open to the broader community for a free festival featuring exhibits from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, and Carnegie Observatories.

The two events — the PasadenaLEARNS 2026 Science Olympiad and the annual PUSD ScienceFest — share the John Muir Early College Magnet campus at 1905 N. Lincoln Ave. on March 7, filling it with science from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Science Olympiad, organized by the district’s PasadenaLEARNs expanded learning program, runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and brings together students in grades 2 through 8 for team-based competition. The ScienceFest, organized by the PUSD PTA Council, runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is open to everyone at no cost, according to the event’s website.

The ScienceFest draws on Pasadena’s concentration of research institutions, with exhibitors from organizations including JPL, Caltech, and Carnegie Observatories, according to the event website. More than 20 organizations are listed as exhibitors for 2026, according to pusdsciencefest.org. Exhibitors span five categories — scientific research, engineering, environment, medicine, and education and careers.

Carnegie Observatories, headquartered in Pasadena, will bring an inflatable planetarium with scheduled shows, according to a report by Pasadena Now. JPL’s SunRISE Mission team, which works on a solar radio science mission, will also exhibit. Caltech’s OCTO Research Group, which studies ocean and ice sheet dynamics, and the university’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach are also exhibiting, according to the event’s exhibitor list. Other exhibitors include the Griffith Observatory Foundation, Pasadena City College’s Laser Technology Program, Mount Wilson Observatory, the Planetary Society, FIRST Robotics Team 2404, Southern California Edison, and Pasadena Public Library, among others.

The PasadenaLEARNs Science Olympiad is a district competition in which elementary and middle school students test their knowledge, creativity, and collaboration skills through a variety of science and engineering challenges, according to a PUSD announcement. PasadenaLEARNs is the district’s expanded learning program, providing before-school, after-school, and summer enrichment to PUSD students. A previous edition of the competition drew students from 21 district schools to compete in 17 events, according to earlier PUSD coverage.

The ScienceFest’s stated goals, posted on the event website, include showcasing STEM career pathways for PUSD students, highlighting contributions by members of underrepresented groups, and developing a positive STEM identity in girls and students of color. The PTA Council of PUSD, which organizes the festival, was founded in 1915 and serves families in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, according to the council’s website.

The ScienceFest is free. No tickets or registration are required. Doors open at 11:50 a.m. For ScienceFest information, visit pusdsciencefest.org or call 626-396-3600. For PasadenaLEARNS Science Olympiad information, call 626-396-3614 or visit pusd.us/departments/expanded-learning-programs/pasadenalearns-expanded-learning-program.