Scientific tourism as a tool for forming life competence students during the implementation of innovative STEM-projects

New reforms in education are aimed at popularizing scientific tourism among young people – one of the most popular types of cognitive creative activity among students. Science tourism is an effective tool in the STEM field for developing life skills of students. In the process of working on innovative STEM projects that combine design and innovation activities, students participate in scientific creative competitions, conferences, and exhibitions, increasing their intellectual level, gaining new knowledge and experience, and getting acquainted with the culture and geography of other countries.When organizing scientific tourism, a STEM educator must take into account the specifics of holding international creative STEM competitions, age characteristics, personal wishes of students, and the financial capabilities of their parents. For effective route development and convenient planning of further activities, you can use the route plan for a student's participation in international creative competitions for the academic year.The purpose of the article was to consider the features of the implementation of scientific tourism as a tool for forming life competence in the process of implementing STEM projects based on an analysis of the participation of our students in the most famous international creative competitions.The objectives of the study were: to highlight the author's vision of scientific tourism as a tool for forming life competence in the process of implementing STEM projects, to consider the features of the implementation of scientific tourism based on the analysis of the participation of our students in the most famous international creative competitions: the international competition of scientific and technical creativity of schoolchildren – Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, International Olympiad of projects on the topic «Improving the environment» – International Sustainable World (Energy, Engineering, Environment) Project Olympiad, international competition «Stockholm Junior Water Prize», International Warsaw Invention Show. The cultural and educational component of each of these competitions is full of interesting events and has its own characteristics and traditions.