Leaders in Pharmaceutical Business Intelligence (LPBI) Group

Science Contests

Curator: Larry H. Bernstein, MD, FCAP

Science Contests

USFIRST

“To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.”

Dean Kamen, Founder

Mission

Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

http://www.usfirst.org/annual-report/

http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/2013homeage/video-dean-thumb.png

NYAS

The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With more than 20,000 members in 100 countries around the world, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy’s core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.

The Global STEM Alliance (GSA) addresses the growing need for highly skilled workers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by accelerating STEM learning around the world. The GSA–a global initiative of more than 100 governments, corporations, educational institutions, and nongovernmental organizations in more than 50 countries and regions working with the New York Academy of Sciences–aims to identify the world’s best STEM talent and create a global network of promising students and noted scientists. The GSA will give rise to a new generation of STEM innovators. Together, this next generation will acquire the skills needed to take on the jobs that foster global economic development, providing the innovation to confront the grand challenges our world faces. The GSA is committed to reaching one million students in 100 countries by 2020. For more information, or to get involved, visit www.globalSTEMAlliance.org and follow us on Twitter @STEMAlliance.

Top 25 science / STEM contests for kids 2014-2015

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Amy Rogers

http://www.sciencethrillers.com/2014/top-25-science-stem-contests-for-kids-2014/

ScienceThrillers.com is proud to compile this list of the year’s top science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) contests and competitions for the 2014-2015 school year.

Not your ordinary science fair:

1. The DuPont Challenge: Every kid with access to a computer should enter this one.

• Science essay writing contest(700-1000 words on the science topic of your choice in broad categories of food, energy, environment, and innovation)
• Grades 6-12 (junior & senior divisions) students in U.S. and Canada
• Prizes: expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World & the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, plus thousands of dollars
• Online entry dates: November 15, 2014-January 31, 2015
• Science story writing contest for grades K-5 (new this year); entry dates are November 1, 2014-March 1, 2015

2. ExploraVision:ExploraVision is a science competition that goes beyond the typical student science competition and into what it takes to bring ideas to reality. Students work in groups to simulate real research and development. A teacher will guide his or her students as they pick a current technology, research it, envision what it might look like in 20 years, and describe the development steps, pros & cons, and obstacles. Past winners have envisioned technologies ranging from a hand-held food allergen detector to a new device to help people who have lost limbs regain movement in real time.

• K-12 students in US and Canada in public, private, or home school
• 2-4 students per team; four age categories
• Entry deadline: January
• Entry consists of an abstract, project description, bibliography, and 5 web pages
• Sponsored by National Science Teachers Association

3. Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge: Deadline for submitting your Investor Pitch is November 4, 2014. Accepted abstracts will be invited to submit full proposal.

•  Team event, ages 13-18. Challenges high school students to create innovative new commercial products using STEM. Open to students worldwide.
• Challenge: conceptualize a solution in one of these areas: aerospace & aviation; energy & environment; cybersecurity & technology; health & nutrition; giant leap to Mars
• Initial entry is Investor Pitch & Video. Entries chosen for semifinals work in prototype development and submit a Draft Development business Plan
• Teams compete for the opportunity to attend Innovation Summit and share an anticipated $500,000+ in awards including: seed funding grants, investment opportunities, patent support, business services, scholarships and other opportunities (as provided by our partners and sponsors) to grow their solution into a real business.

4. US FIRST Robotics& Tech Programs: World-wide eligibility. You’ve probably seen winners of these competitions featured in the media.

• Jr. FIRST Lego League: For kids ages 6-9. Team event. Event season is now until April 2014. Learn about this year’s challenge (Natural Disasters) and use LEGOs to build a simple machine around this topic.
• FIRST Lego League: For kids ages 9-14 (grades 4-8). Team event. Season starts in the fall. Design, build, program, test robots using LEGO Mindstorms technology.
• FIRST Tech Challenge: For grades 7-12. Big scholarship prizes at stake.

FTC is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.

• FIRST Robotics Competition: For high school (grades 9-12). A major undertaking, intense and incredible. For teams of 25+ kids.

The varsity Sport for the Mind^TM, FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors.  It’s as close to “real-world engineering” as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

5. 3M/Discovery Young Scientist Challenge: (2015 event coming soon)

• U.S. students in grades 5-8
• To enter, students need to submit a 1-2 minute video which describes a new innovation or solution that could solve or impact an everyday problem related to: [1] the way we move; [2] the way we keep ourselves healthy; or [3] the way we make a difference. {These topics may change for this year’s Challenge.}
• Ten finalists will be mentored by 3M scientists and win a trip to 3M headquarters in Minnesota
• First place wins $25,000. All finalists win a Discovery Student Adventures trip
• Contest entries accepted December to April

6. Team American Rocketry Challenge:Teams design, build and fly a model rocket that reaches a specific altitude and duration determined by a set of rules developed each year. The contest is designed to encourage students to study math and science and pursue careers in aerospace. The top 100 teams, based on local qualification flights, are invited to Washington, DC in May for the national finals. Prizes include $60,000 in cash and scholarships split between the top 10 finishers. NASA invites top teams to participate in their Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry program. AIA member companies, such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have sponsored additional prizes such as scholarship money and a trip to an international air show.

• Teams of 3-10 students in grades 7-12
• Enter your team before December 12, 2014

7. eCyberMission:is a web-based STEM competition free for students in grades 6 through 9 sponsored by the U.S. Army. Teams can compete for state, regional and national awards while working to solve problems in their community.

• Registration deadline: December 17, 2014
• 3 or 4 student members from the same state with an adult team advisor
• Team chooses one category of “mission challenge”, asks a question, and tests it using scientific method
• 1/5 of final score is based on project’s potential benefit to the community
• Virtual judges also needed. Can you volunteer?

8. Science Olympiad:School-based teams of 15 students in grades 6-12 who prepare, coach, and practice throughout the year. There is also an elementary divisionfor K-6 teams. 9.The Tech Challenge: This is an awesome program with tons of support (workshops and clinics throughout the preparation process) but everything is at The Tech Museum of Innovation in Silicon Valley (San Jose, CA) so contest is effectively restricted to Bay Area teams.

• The Tech Challenge is an annual team design challenge for students in grades 4-12 that introduces and reinforces the science and engineering design process with a hands-on project geared to solving a real-world problem.
• Teams of 2-6 people compete in three divisions: Elementary (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-8), High (grades 9-12)
• Event Day is Saturday, April 25-26, 2015 at the Tech Museum.
• This year’s challenge: Build an earthquake-safe structure

Math & Technology competitions:

10. Future City: “The Future City Competition is a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ 4 Deluxe software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals in Washington, DC in February.” This year’s topic (2014-15): Feeding Future Cities. National finals in Washington DC (travel paid by Future City!) are February 14-18, 2015.

• Educators can do the program without competing if they wish. Teams of 3 students + educator + engineer mentor. More students can participate but only three will present.
• 1. Register in October; 2. Design virtual city in SimCity4 3. Draft essay 4. Work on building scale model of city 5. Write city narrative 6. Submissions

11. MathCounts Competition Series: Enrichment, club, and competition math programs for middle school U.S. students (grades 6-8). National competition is a major event held in May; 12 students vie for title of Raytheon MathleteChampion

• Enroll your school online now to get your MathCounts handbook (early deadline: November 14, 2014; final deadline: December 12, 2014). Homeschools are eligible. Club program is free. Competition teams of 1-4 students: fee $25-$100.
• Competitions begin in January

MathCounts also offers a Solve-A-Thon fundraising program for school math programs. Great idea–check it out here. 12. MathCounts Math Video Challenge: Empowers students to be math teachers, video producers, actors and artists – all at the same time! Students create a video that teaches the solution to one of the problems from the 2014-2015 MATHCOUNTS School Handbook, and also demonstrates the real-world application of the math concept used in the problem. View previous winners here.

• Teams of 4 students
• Grades 6-8
• Video less than 5 minutes in length
• Video entry deadline: March 13, 2015
• Winning students win college scholarships

13. National STEM Video Game Challenge: “Goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.” No programming experience required. Competitors may use a variety of game design platforms including Scratch, Gamestar Mechanic, and others

•  Categories for middle school (grades 5-8) and high school. Also prizes for educators. Homeschoolers are eligible.
• To enter, you or your team of up to 4 people must design a “video game” (defined at the site) that incorporates STEM learning
• Game can be fully programmed and playable (in one of the platforms suggested) or submitted as detailed written game design documents
• Entry dates for this year TBD; last year entries were accepted from February to April
• Prizes: laptop computers + $2000

14. Microsoft’s Imagine Cup: For budding tech entrepreneurs. Three technology competitions for high school & university students worldwide. Imagine Cup World Finals 2015 will be in Seattle. Contests:

• Code Hunt Challenge: 24-hour intense individual coding event. Next challenge beginsOctober 18, 2014 with more to come
• Games: Ages 16 and up. Teams of up to 4 competitors. Final submissions deadline March 15, 2015. Best new student game. $50,000 prize.
• Innovation: Incredible, world-changing software innovations often come from students. Social networks, music services, digital photography apps, gadgets and robotics – the list goes on. We’re looking for the next big thing and we know students like you are going to make it. Top team wins $50,000.

15. M3 Moody’s Mega Math Challenge: Math competition to solve an open-ended, realistic, applied math-modeling problem focused on a real-world issue. Top prize $20,000.

• High school juniors & seniors in 45 U.S. states only. (Should go nationwide in 2016.) Homeschoolers eligible.
• Teams of 3-5 students have 14 hours over one weekend to do the problem; prepare by working on problems from previous years
• Last year, registration began November 2013 and ended February 2014

16. Technology Student Association TEAMS:Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) is an annual competition for middle and high schoolstudents designed to help them discover their potential for engineering. Open to homeschoolers.During this one-day competition (sometime between Feb. 9-March 21, 2015), students apply math and science knowledge in practical, creative ways to solve real-world engineering challenges. The 2015 TEAMS competition, “The Power of Engineering,” is based on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge “energy.”  Students will address engineering challenges in areas such as alternative fuels, solar power, hydropower, nuclear power, smart homes, wind energy. Events are held at universities around the U.S. National finals June 28-July 2, 2015, near Dallas, TX. TEAMS take a multiple choice test to apply math and science to novel situations, then offer ideas for engineering solutions in response to five tasks.
17. NASA Exploration Design Challenge. “The goal of the Exploration Design Challenge is for students to research and design ways to protect astronauts from space radiation.” Not sure if this event will be repeated in 2015. 2014 entry deadline was in June.

• Challenges for grades K-4, 5-8, 9-12
• Classroom based (would work for homeschool, too)
• Design and build a prototype radiation shield

Traditional science fair competitions:

Science fairs were a crucial formative experience for me.  I’m competitive by nature but not interested in sports. I loved science and I was smart. Science fairs were a perfect match for me. Competing in three ISEFs truly changed my life. (Thank you, Minnesota State University SC/SW Regional Science Fair–so happy to see you’re still honoring kids with a passion for science!)

18. Intel International Science and Engineering Fairs(ISEF)and their affiliated regional fairs are the granddaddies of the science fair world. I can only summarize this massive global enterprise and direct you to the website of the sponsor, Society for Science and the Public.

• Students in grades 6-12 are eligible to compete in affiliated regional fairs
• Individuals or small teams perform a real scientific investigation (sometimes engineering, math, or computer programming) with well-designed experiments following the scientific method. This can be from the most basic level (such as, testing effect of water on seed germination) to the most advanced (ISEF national winners often have worked in university laboratories on cutting-edge science).
• Check your regional fair’s website for deadlines. Regulations for use of human subjects, chemicals, etc. are quite strict and most projects require pre-approval as early as December, but certainly before the student starts work.

Broadcom MASTERS competition is part of the ISEF enterprise, a kind of junior ISEF. Top winners in grades 6-8 at ISEF-affiliated regional science fairs are nominated to enter their work in Broadcom MASTERS. Entry is by nomination only. Semifinalists are announced in August/September from the previous school year. 19.  Siemens Competition. Siemens is open to grades 9-12. Project entry deadline: Sept. 30, 2014. (Research must be done to enter, so plan now to enter next year.) 20. The BioGENEius Challenge: For big-time high school science projects in biotechnology 21. The Google Science Fair: “an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. All you need is an idea. Geniuses are not always A-grade students. We welcome all mavericks, square-pegs and everybody who likes to ask questions.” As best I can tell, Google Science Fair entries are traditional science fair projects (real experiments performed using the scientific method and following all safety/ethics rules of the sponsoring fair) that the student enters online in a virtual science fair. You are allowed to enter a project that you also entered in a “real” science fair. Ideal for kids who don’t have access to an ISEF-affiliated regional fair.

• Anybody, anywhere ages 13-18 can enter
• No details posted yet for 2014-15; sign up to be notified
• Awards in 3 age divisions. Big prizes: previous year’s winners won tens of thousands of dollars, media coverage, a trip to Google, and even a visit with President Obama at the White House, and a grand prize ten-day trip to the Galapagos Islands.

22. The Canada Wide Virtual Science Fairinvites K-12 Canadian students to do a science project and then build a website to display their work.

• Grades K-12 in Canadian schools
• Registration begins January 2015

Bonus Contests:

23. Science & Art:3rd Annual Humans in Space Art Contest

• Open to kids 10-18 years old worldwide
• Visual, literary, musical, or video artwork expressing vision of how will space, science, and technology benefit humanity? Must include a clear reference to the International Space Station.
• Entry deadline: November 15, 2014.
• Top prize: $5,000

24. Environmental Education: North America Envirothon

• Nationwide team competition for high school students in U.S. and Canada.
• Teams organized in schools, homeschools, scout groups, etc.
• In-class learning + hands-on outdoor activities to learn environmental science.
• Topics: Soils and land use; aquatic ecology; forestry; wildlife; environmental issues. This year: sustainable local agriculture.
• Students are tested at local competitions. National event is held in summer. (This year: July 27-August 2, 2015 Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.)
• 2015 Topic: Urban/Community Forestry
• Registration will open in late fall.

25. Odyssey of the Mind:A wide-ranging intellectual competition for K-12+ that includes solving problems in these categories, most of which involve STEM:

• Mechanical/Vehicle
• Classics
• Performance
• Structure
• Technical Performance

For K-12 students in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia only:
Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research poster contest “Biomedical Research Saves Lives.” Prizes $25 and invitation to awards dinner in Hershey, PA. Entry deadline: March 15, 2015.

Discovered this one too late but will include next year: Verizon Innovative App Challenge. Entries accepted August-November 24, 2014. Working with a faculty advisor, teams of 5-7 middle or high school students develop an original concept for a mobile app that incorporates STEM principles and content and addresses a real need or problem in their school or community. Students win Galaxy Tabs; schools win thousands of dollars.

Past events that might come back: Kavli Science Video Contest. View 2014 video winners here.  The Kids Science Challenge: Sponsored by National Science Foundation, for grades 3-6. Last seen in 2012.

 

Young Scientist Challenge

The ultimate middle school science competition.

http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/about-3m

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the nation’s premier science competition for grades 5-8. This one-of-a-kind video competition has sparked the imaginations of hundreds of thousands of students and enhanced science exploration, innovation and communication across the United States.

When first launched by Discovery Communications in 1999, the Young Scientist Challenge had the same mission it does today: to foster a new generation of American scientists at an age when interest in science generally declines. In 2008, Discovery Education joined forces with 3M – one of the world’s most notable innovators – to cultivate the next generation of problem-solvers and give students the unique opportunity to work directly with 3M scientists.

Young Scientist Challenge winners have gone on to speak in front of Congress, work with the nation’s top scientists, and pursue academic careers in science.

https://youtu.be/kLYmXToraVw

http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/photo-gallery

World Science Festival

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/newsletter-aw/?gclid=CP2imq3DlMgCFc2QHwodTagHEw

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/wp-content/themes/wsf/general-images/newsletterpagebody.jpg

About the World Science Festival

The World Science Festival brings together great minds in science and the arts to produce live and digital content that presents the wonders of science and the drama of scientific discovery to a broad general audience.

The Festival’s flagship live event, launched in 2008, is an annual weeklong celebration and exploration of science. Through gripping debates, original theatrical works, interactive explorations, musical performances, intimate salons, and major outdoor experiences, the Festival takes science out of the laboratory and into the streets, parks, museums, galleries and premier performing arts venues of New York City.

Hailed a “new cultural institution” by the New York Times, the Festival has featured scientific and cultural luminaries including Stephen Hawking, Maggie Gyllenhaal, E.O. Wilson, John Lithgow, Sir Paul Nurse, Glenn Close, Harold Varmus, Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Weinberg, Philip Glass, Eric Lander, Steven Chu, Chuck Close, Richard Leakey, Bobby McFerrin, Sylvia Earle, Anna Deavere Smith, Oliver Sacks, Liev Schreiber, Mary-Claire King, Charlie Kaufman, Bill T. Jones, John Hockenberry, Elizabeth Vargas among many others.

The annual Festivals have collectively drawn more than 1.3 million visitors since 2008, and millions more have viewed the programs online.

World Science U is the Foundation’s online education arm where students and lifelong learners can dive more deeply through artfully produced digital education content presented by world-renowned scientists.

The World Science Festival is a production of the Science Festival Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in New York City. The Foundation’s mission is to cultivate a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.

https://youtu.be/AQY43_3tvCA

https://youtu.be/32c6KFSEvxA

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/cool-jobs_watch-now-3-373×230.jpg

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/reality-since-einstein_watch-now-373×230.jpg

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/planet-of-the-humans_watch-now_update-373×230.jpg

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/to-infinity-and-beyond_watch-now-373×230.jpg

http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/time-is-of-the-essence_watch-now-1-373×230.jpg

GSF

The Google Science Fair is a global online science and technology competition open to individuals and teams from ages 13 to 18. The details of the 2016 competition will be announced soon, but start thinking of an idea now.

https://youtu.be/PszuBGqLCew

https://youtu.be/MQEeEGvLzIU

https://youtu.be/QprN7uTJLDc

 

 

Intel Science Talent Search

Inspiring innovation

Since 1998, Intel has sponsored this venerated competition. Now in its 74^th year, the Intel Science Talent Search continues to inspire innovation in science, technology, engineering and math, and to recognize notable achievements by the next generation of scientific leaders.

Intel STS alumni have achieved some of the world’s most revered scientific honors: twelve have won MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grants, seven have received the National Medal of Science or the National Medal of Technology, and eight have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

About the Intel Science Talent Search

The Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), a program of Society for Science & the Public, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. It honors exceptional high school seniors for their scientific research and their potential as future leaders in the scientific community.

Each year, approximately 1,800 students attending American high schools enter the competition in the hope of winning awards. The applicant pool is first narrowed to three hundred semifinalists, who – along with their schools – receive cash prizes. From there, the top 40 candidates are selected as Intel STS finalists and invited to Washington, D.C., to attend a week-long celebration of science and compete for top honors:

The Basic Research Medal recognizes finalists who demonstrate exceptional scientific potential through depth of research and analysis, which is critical to conducting basic or fundamental research.

The Global Good Medal rewards finalists who demonstrate great scientific potential through their passion to make a difference, most notably by seeking solutions to real-world problems.

The Innovation Medal celebrates finalists whose great potential is exemplified by applying the problem-solving aptitude of an engineer through innovative design and creativity.

Three High School Seniors Each Take Home Awards of $150,000 from Nation’s Highest-Awarding Science Competition

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Noah Golowich, Andrew Jin and Michael Hofmann Winer each received first-place awards of $150,000 at the Intel Science Talent Search 2015, a program of Society for Science & the Public.
• The top winners and other finalists from across the United States took home awards totaling more than $1 million.
• The Intel Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science and math competition, recognizes 40 high school seniors who are poised to create new technologies and solutions that will positively impact people’s lives.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 10, 2015 – America’s most promising young scientists were celebrated tonight in the nation’s capital as they received more than $1 million in awards from Intel Corporation. These scientists are the winners of the Intel Science Talent Search, the nation’s most prestigious pre-college science and math competition and a program of Society for Science & the Public (SSP).

Starting this year, the Intel Science Talent Search tripled the top awards to further recognize finalists and highlight the variety of research conducted. In place of the previous grand prize of $100,000, three first-place Medal of Distinction awards of $150,000 were presented to students who showed exceptional scientific potential in three categories: Basic Research, Global Good, and Innovation.

Noah Golowich, 17, of Lexington, Massachusetts, won the First Place Medal of Distinction for Basic Research, which recognizes finalists who demonstrate exceptional scientific potential through depth of research and analysis. Noah developed a proof in the area of Ramsey theory, a field of mathematics based on finding types of structure in large and complicated systems. He is the captain of his high school math team, plays for his high school tennis team and plays jazz piano in his spare time.

Andrew Jin, 17, of San Jose, California, won the First Place Medal of Distinction for Global Good, which rewards finalists who demonstrate great scientific potential through their passion to make a difference. Andrew developed a machine learning algorithm to identify adaptive mutations across the human genome. By analyzing massive public genomic datasets, his system discovered more than 100 adaptive mutations related to immune response, metabolism, brain development and schizophrenia in real DNA sequences. Understanding the genetic causes of these diseases is an important first step toward developing gene therapies or vaccines. Andrew is an accomplished pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall.

Michael Hofmann Winer, 18, of North Bethesda, Maryland, won the First Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation, which celebrates finalists who demonstrate the problem-solving aptitude of an engineer through innovative design and creativity. Michael studied how fundamental quasi-particles of sound, called phonons, interact with electrons. His work could potentially be applied to more complex atomic structures such as superconductors. Michael was a silver medalist at the 2014 International Physics Olympiad, where he was the top-scoring U.S. student on the theoretical exam.

“A solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and math creates the critical talent corporations and startups need to drive their business and contribute to economic development,” said Renee James, president of Intel Corporation. “We hope this program will encourage other young people to become the next generation of scientists, inventors and engineers.”

Society for Science & the Public is seeking a new title sponsor for the Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious high school science competition. The new sponsor will assume sole title sponsorship of this premier competition and begin their partnership with the Society beginning in 2017.

The Science Talent Search has been fostering the best and brightest young scientific minds in the United States for nearly 75 years. It has only become available for a new title sponsor twice since its inception in 1942. The competition receives more than 1800 applications each year from high school seniors across the country, all vying to be among the 40 finalists.

Science Without Borders

Science without Borders® Challenge is a yearly art competition that engages students to promote the need to preserve, protect, and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources.

The Science without Borders® Challenge was created to get students and teachers more involved and interested in ocean conservation through various forms of art. This yearly contest inspires students to be creative while using different types of media to promote public awareness of important ocean conservation issues.

This international art competition is open to all students 11-19 years old, with scholarships awarded to the winner and finalists.

We have just announced the winners of our 2015 Science without Borders® Challenge. The theme for this year’s Challenge was “Reef Relationships.”

Coral reefs are important ecosystems that harbor nearly 25% of all marine species. There are many different types of relationships that take place in the coral reef ecosystem. One of these relationships is called symbiosis. Symbiosis is a close ecological relationship between the individuals of two (or more) different species.

There are different types of symbiotic relationships including commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism, On the front cover, for example, the anemone and clownfish are engaged in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit from each other.

The deadline for entry into this year’s Science without Borders® Challenge was Monday, April 27^th. We received a record number of entries this year: 152 pieces of artwork from 17 countries and 16 states. The contest was especially fierce this year not only because of the sheer number of entries, but because so many of the pieces were truly stunning high-caliber art.  Our judges had an extremely difficult time choosing this year’s winners.

Meet LOF’s Former Science without Borders® Challenge Winners:

2015 High School Winner: Treasure Reef	2015 Middle School Winner: Preserve to Survive the Struggles
2014 Winner – Reef in a Bottle	2013 Winner – How Tennessee Affects the Oceans

In 2013, the Foundation held its first Science without Borders® Challenge competition.  High school students around the world were asked to answer the question, how are we all connected to the oceans?  Students were asked to submit a 1-5 minute science video presentation that could include any combination of interviews, comic storyboards, photography, and original footage to answer the challenge question. The submission conveyed a connection between everyday life and our oceans that could serve as a public service announcement to other students, teachers, parents, and the general public.

The 2013 winning Challenge science video is titled, “How Tennessee Affects the Oceans?” The film makers, Alexis Braden, Martin Lampkin, Jr., and Nicholas Wesley attend Hume Fogg High School in Nashville, TN.

https://youtu.be/e4ClIo8_9SI