Born out of Orkin's 125th anniversary and vision for the future, the competition encourages students to explore how insect science can inspire tomorrow's innovations in ways they may never have imagined, the company said.
Posted by Patrick Rhonemus
ATLANTA — As Orkin marks 125 years of helping people better understand and manage pests, the company is launching the Orkin Insect 2151 Science Fair. The national virtual competition challenges students ages 14-18 to explore entomology and imagine how insect-inspired ideas could help solve real-world challenges over the next 125 years.
Born out of Orkin’s 125th anniversary and vision for the future, the competition encourages students to explore how insect science can inspire tomorrow’s innovations in ways they may never have imagined, the company said. Orkin will award $180,000 in scholarship awards to the winning science fair projects.
“Through Insect 2151, we want to encourage young people to think like scientists, ask bold questions and explore how nature’s oldest innovators can inspire the future,” Orkin National Technical Director Shannon Sked said. “By imagining how the world will continue to change through 2151, participants are preparing for challenges that may not fully exist today but are already beginning to take shape. In doing so, they gain exposure to the study of entomology, which will remain essential as long as people, businesses and communities need protection from pests, and the many ways insect science intersects with emerging fields that will help shape our future.”
According to a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Orkin, 44% of teens describe feeling curious about insects, and 50% of teens say they are interested in learning more, while 55% of parents of teens agree. However, many teens’ experiences with insects are limited to practical encounters, such as having pests removed from their home, and only 12% of parents say their child has learned a great deal about insects in school, according to the survey.
Orkin is launching Insect 2151 at a time when curiosity about insects can fade or compete with other interests as students grow older and begin focusing on hobbies and potential career paths.
Survey results also suggest interest in insects hasn’t disappeared; rather, students may need new ways to connect with the subjects and careers that capture their attention today. Orkin said the Insect 2151 Science Fair is designed to help make those connections, showing how insect science can inspire innovation across fields ranging from robotics and artificial intelligence to environmental stewardship, public health, design and sustainability. While relatively few respondents expressed specific interest in entomology careers, many are drawn to fields that increasingly intersect with modern insect science.
“For 125 years, Orkin has helped educate people about insects and supported the advancement of entomological science,” said Dr. Daniel Suiter, Orkin endowed professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia. “Insects have inspired breakthroughs in technology, engineering and design through biomimicry, from mosquito-inspired needles and sharkskin-inspired materials to the swarm intelligence of ants and the natural temperature regulation found in termite mounds. By challenging students to imagine the future through an entomological lens, the Insect 2151 Science Fair highlights how insect science can spark curiosity, innovation and discovery.”
Today’s insect scientists are indeed already helping shape the future. Orkin said by combining entomology with fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, predictive analytics and engineering, they are contributing to solutions for some of society’s most complex challenges, from public health and food security to sustainability and infrastructure design. To help transform curiosity into discovery, Orkin invites students across the country to participate in the Insect 2151 Science Fair.
To enter, students ages 14-18 must:
A total of $180,000 in scholarship prizes will be awarded to the top presentations submitted.
The first-place winner will also receive an invitation to join Orkin in Washington, D.C. during the opening of a new visitor experience at the O. Orkin Insect Zoo at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which Orkin is supporting.
Parents or guardians must submit entries on behalf of minors. Complete contest rules, eligibility requirements and submission details are available at orkininsect2151.com.
The Insect 2151 Science Fair builds on Orkin’s long history of supporting education and advancing insect science. Since 2023, the company has endowed the Orkin Professorship in Urban Entomology at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in order to support research that impacts the entire industry. As Orkin celebrates 125 years, the company continues to invest in the next generation of scientific thinkers whose ideas may help shape the future of entomology, innovation and pest management.
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