Compare

Compare the trail before you compare the branding.

PQK is an inquiry lab. It is not a craft hour, not a poster vendor, not an unscoped global challenge, and not a prize mill. This page makes those differences usable.

Open an inquiry See the tracks

problem framingquestion designevidence habits

Question	PQK Lab	Craft-hour STEM club	Poster vendor	Prize mill
Where does it start?	A setting and a friction.	A kit on a table.	A board template.	A contest prompt.
Question quality	Must be researchable with available tools.	Optional.	A title that fits the layout.	Whatever sounds winning.
Evidence	Dated logs with units and misses.	Photos of making.	Stock images if needed.	Only the trials that worked.
Build	A test of a knowledge model.	The product is the point.	Optional if the print looks good.	A machine that photographs well.
Communication	Carries knowledge including uncertainty.	A show-and-tell.	A designed poster.	A pitch.
What is refused	Ghost-built projects and untestable slogans.	Rarely a messy table.	Nothing if the file is print-ready.	Nothing if a ribbon is possible.

Compare the public check, not the slogan

Formats on PQK differ by time box, who marks, and how public a trail from field friction to a question a peer could inspect will be. Narrow field friction into an inquiry question.

This page is for families and schools choosing a pressure that matches the team they actually have. It is not a ranked package list.

Questions that separate formats

How many hours can the student protect this week? Who will mark four-column friction log, researchable question, dated evidence, revised model? What will a visitor be allowed to handle, rerun, or read? If you cannot fill those fields, the format is not ready.

What not to compare

Do not compare logo walls, future-of-work videos, or certificate mock-ups. Fluency is cheap. Folders are not. A beautiful board carrying a dead question is the same failure in every format.

After you pick

Write info@pqk.org. Confirm the marker and the time box in writing on apply. This site does not publish a fee table or a 2027 calendar here.

Continue inside PQK.

CurriculumSix inquiry tracksProblem, question, evidence, models, builds, and showcase.InsightsInquiry field notesLongform guidance on STEM inquiry and researchable questions.ApplyOpen an inquiryWhat a first note should include about setting and constraints.FAQLab questionsClubs, evidence logs, families, mentors, and showcases.