What is the name of your organization?
PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder [The Regents of the University of Colorado]
What is the name of your solution?
PhET Global: STEM Ed for All
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
PhET Global empowers networked STEM teacher leaders and learners through accessible, interactive simulations.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Boulder, CO, USA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
United States
What type of organization is your solution team?
Other, including part of a larger organization (please explain below)
If you selected Other, please explain here.
PhET is a project at CU Boulder, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and governed by the Regents of the University of Colorado. PhET’s Executive Director Perkins and team lead strategy, operations, and fundraising for the project.
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Almost 1 billion children live in poverty (UNICEF, 2025; https://bit.ly/3FrnBqN), and many attend schools lacking critical infrastructure for teaching science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), such as internet connectivity or accessible laboratory materials. Up to 43 million children are displaced due to regional turmoil (UNICEF, 2023; https://bit.ly/3XTegyf), including Ukraine, Venezuela, the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and the Levant, among others.
Quality STEM education is a challenge even in times of stability, however. Using sub-Saharan Africa as a specific example, the increasing population and commitment to providing quality education for all has strained both physical and human resources. Math and science teachers frequently report being underprepared and under-resourced (ADEA, 2021; https://bit.ly/4amHx9M), and need additional supports when working with students who are deaf or visually impaired (PhET, n.d.; https://bit.ly/43Ft7jw). These challenges lead to theoretical and limited-quality instruction in subjects that demand hands-on learning, and disproportionately affects girls, who are already less likely to pursue studies in these fields in Africa (AAS, 2020; https://bit.ly/4hwQ23R) and globally (UNESCO, 2017; https://bit.ly/4hl7qbH). Addressing these challenges is critical for enabling equitable access to quality STEM education.
What is your solution?
Since 2002, PhET has created 170+ award-winning, openly-licensed interactive simulations (https://phet.colorado.edu/) for STEM education, used globally 250M+ times annually. Grounded in education research, PhET simulations are game-like virtual “laboratories”, enabling students to engage in experimentation and inquiry. The simulations are translated into 129 languages, have inclusive features (e.g. alternative input, interactive description), and run on low-end smartphones, tablets, and computers, with or without internet connectivity. Unlike lab equipment, PhET simulations are free; include multiple dynamic representations; and visualize abstract concepts. They significantly improve student learning compared to traditional instruction (Banda & Nzabahimana, 2021; https://bit.ly/42Lg7pR).
To expand and deepen impact in local communities, the PhET Global initiative uses a cost-effective peer-led model to grow and leverage teacher pedagogy and leadership–the PhET Fellowship. Since 2022, 67 educators from 34 countries across Africa and Latin America completed the 18-month PhET Fellowship program. To date, these Fellows have trained 119K+ teachers in their communities, including 11,800+ in extended workshops. Unlike one-off training workshops, which yield limited impact, this peer-led approach fosters ongoing collaboration and community, with teachers sharing best practices and improving pedagogical approaches over time.
See 2024 Impact Report (https://phet.colorado.edu/publications/PhET_Impact_Report_2024.pdf).
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
PhET simulations are relevant worldwide. In war-torn regions, PhET’s offline capabilities make it well-adapted. For instance, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, a PhET Fellow from NGO Heal Our People installs PhET in schools “to compensate for the loss of physical lab facilities [resulting from] the destruction of school infrastructure”. Similarly, in Ukraine, one teacher reports, “Due to ongoing air raids and missile attacks, we are often forced to conduct our lessons in bomb shelters… [With PhET], we continue learning even in these difficult conditions.” From 2021-2024, PhET observed a 380% increase in sim use by students in Ukraine as well as those displaced globally. With their inclusive design, PhET simulations improve learning even in well-resourced classrooms, and are especially helpful for students with learning differences. Staff from the Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired report that PhET’s inclusive features “are useful to not only the visually impaired, but so many learners with language or cognitive barriers as well as physical and learning struggles.” Ensuring that all students have access to high-quality STEM education through PhET helps ensure that students, despite personal, social, or economic challenges, can attain academic achievement, self-actualization, and meaningful employment.
