The annual North Carolina AQ-IQ Contest for seventh grade combines S.T.E.A.M. education and project-based learning with student creativity to teach air pollution science to students across the state. Students create projects that educate others about an air quality challenge and provide solutions. Projects can be artistic, online/interactive, posters, or videos. Special topic categories for 2025-2026 include Open Burning, Celebrating Ten Years of Success, and Adventures of the Air Avenger. Best projects in each of seven regions will be selected in early May and invited to the Air Expo and AQ-IQ Recognition Ceremony in July 2026. Open to all seventh-grade students in North Carolina including home, charter, and private schools. Students can work in groups of up to four.