Monday, March 23, 2015

Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge #SciChat



I'm excited to share with you the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. This is an amazing science competition for middle school students that targets them in the years, that research indicates, their interest in science begins to fade. The competition encourages students to explore scientific concepts and apply them to everyday life and share their work in creative ways. The winner of the contest will be selected from grades 5-8 from across the country and they will receive $25,000 prize and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist".

2014 Winner Sahil Doshi 
The part of this competition that is really different is that the finalists will be paired with a 3M scientist mentor that will help the students create an innovation that will be presented to judges at the final competition at the 3M Innovation Center in October. It is such a great opportunity for students to work with scientists and explore the world of science and innovation with a great guide. I always believe that it is great to connect students with mentors that can model the skills the students need to acquire. This is a cool addition by 3M to really separate this competition from others out there. 

2014 Finalists
Past Challenge winners have gone on to speak in front of members of Congress, work with the nation's top scientists, participate in the White House Science Fair, meet the President and pursue academic careers in the sciences. These are really great experiences for young students to have that will continue to support their interest in the sciences. We want our students to explore the "real world" and I think Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a great chance for students to do things they would otherwise not be able to experience. 

Entering the competition is very simple. For students, they need to create a 1-2 minute video sharing the science behind a possible solution to an everyday problem. Once they create their video, the students will then go to www.YoungScientistChallenge.com and submit their idea. Entries are being accepted now through April 21, 2015. 

Competition Timeline

April 21st – Video Entry Deadline (need to stress this deadline) - Middle school students are asked to create a one to two-minute video communicating the science behind a possible solution for an everyday problem.

June/July - Ten finalists will be announced and have an exclusive opportunity to work directly with a 3M scientist during a summer mentorship program, during which they were challenged to create an innovation which solves a problem in society. State Merit Winners are also announced at this time. 

October: Finalists will demonstrate their scientific innovation and creativity in a series of challenges at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, MN. 

More information on the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter: @DE3MYSC 


3M - a science-based company with a culture of creative collaboration that inspires powerful technologies, making life better.

Discovery Education - the leading provider of curriculum-based digital content.

This is a sponsored post, but that doesn't make this any less of an awesome opportunity for students to explore the amazing world of science!

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