Grades 6-8 · Free · Online
Junior Neuro Bee
The first neuroscience competition built for middle schoolers. Free to enter, free to prepare for, and open to any student in grades 6-8, anywhere.
Junior Neuro Bee takes place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Pacific. Registration is open until October 7, 2026, and it is free to enter.
What it is
Junior Neuro Bee is a free, virtual neuroscience competition for students in grades 6-8. It runs on Zoom, so any student can take part from anywhere — where you live and which school you go to do not matter.
Every registered student gets free access to a prep course and free live classes. Nothing about it costs anything, at any stage. It is designed as a first competition, so no prior experience is expected.
Junior Neuro Bee is its own event. It is not affiliated with, and not a division of, the official Brain Bee, which is a separate competition aimed at high school students.
Run of show
All times are Pacific Time.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Welcome and tech check |
| 10:15 AM | Auto-graded written round |
| 11:00 AM | Guest speaker and Q&A |
| 11:45 AM | Finalist announcement (about 10 finalists) |
| 11:50 AM | Verbal final round |
| 12:40 PM | Awards and close |
| 1:00 PM | Wrap |
What to study
Brain Facts, chapters 1 to 6. You do not have to find it alone — the free prep course and the free Skool community walk through the same material chapter by chapter.
Prizes
Prizes are sponsored byBiolympiads:
- Top 1 to 2 finishers — Advanced Brain Bee course credit.
- Places 3 to 5 — a discounted quizzes-camp seat (3 seats total).
- Top 10 finishers — a question bank.
Donations are separate, and always optional
Registration is free and is never tied to giving. If you would like to support Alzheimer's research anyway, you can give through our Alzheimer's Association fundraiser page — the money goes to them, not to us.
Questions parents ask
Short, direct answers. See every question →
Is NeuroSpark really free?
Yes. The Skool community, the lessons, the quizzes, the live classes, and Junior Neuro Bee all cost nothing. There is no paid tier and no upgrade to buy.
What's the catch? How can this be free?
There isn't one. NeuroSpark is run by students and fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation, so we have no salaries and no rent. We ask families who can give to donate to the Alzheimer's Association instead of paying us.
We are a fiscally sponsored project of The Hack Foundation (EIN 81-2908499). With no salaries and no rent to cover, we can keep everything free.
Instead of charging families, we invite anyone who is able to give to support the Alzheimer’s Association directly through our fundraiser page. That donation is always optional, and it is never tied to registering or joining anything.
Who can join the free Skool community?
Any 6-12 student who is curious about the brain. There is no application, no fee, and no prior neuroscience background needed.
Parents, teachers, and volunteers are welcome to join and look around too.
Who can enter Junior Neuro Bee?
Any student in grades 6-8, anywhere. It is virtual, so location and school do not matter, and no prior competition experience is needed.
When is Junior Neuro Bee, and how does the day run?
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM Pacific Time, on Zoom. Registration is open until October 7, 2026, and it is free to enter. The day runs: welcome and tech check, an auto-graded written round, a guest speaker, the finalist announcement, the verbal final round, and awards.
Run of show, Pacific Time
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | Welcome and tech check |
| 10:15 AM | Auto-graded written round |
| 11:00 AM | Guest speaker and Q&A |
| 11:45 AM | Finalist announcement (about 10 finalists) |
| 11:50 AM | Verbal final round |
| 12:40 PM | Awards and close |
| 1:00 PM | Wrap |
What should my student study for Junior Neuro Bee?
Brain Facts, chapters 1 to 6. Every registered student also gets a free prep course and free live classes, so nobody has to prepare alone.
You do not have to find the material alone. Every registered student gets free access to a prep course built on the same chapters, plus free live classes, plus the free Skool community where students work through the material together.
What do we need on competition day?
A computer or tablet with Zoom, a stable internet connection, and a quiet space. No special equipment, and nothing to print or buy.
Free neuroscience, all year round
The competition is one day. The community is the rest of the year — free lessons, quizzes, and live classes for any student in grades 6-12.