Georgia Education: competition

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Georgia Tech Hosts First Lego League State Tournament

The Georgia Institute of Technology will host 50 teams of 480 teens competing in the State of Georgia FIRST LEGO League Robotics Tournament on Saturday, January 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Student Center.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization that was founded to inspire interest in science and engineering among young people.

Saturday's event is the State Championship and the top team of the event will advance to the World Festival in St. Louis in late April.

With a theme of “Body Forward,” teams of students aged 9 to 14 will explore the cutting-edge world of biomedical engineering to discover innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions and maximize the bodies' potential, with the purpose of leading happier, healthier lives.

The event is co-hosted by Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing and Georgia Tech Research Institute, as well as LEGO Robotics Design and Outreach Community.

So far in this year's tournament, 337 teams have competed in 12 qualifiers and three super-regional contests, involving a total of 2,500 students. Through these qualifiers, the field was narrowed to 50 teams that will participate at the event Saturday at Tech.

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Friday, January 14, 2011

NASA Invites Students to Send Experiments to the Edge of Space

/PRNewswire/ -- NASA is inviting student teams to design and build experiments the agency will fly into the stratosphere, a near-space environment, more than 100,000 feet above the Earth.

NASA's second annual Balloonsat High-Altitude Flight competition is open to student teams in ninth to 12th grades from the United States and its territories. Each team of four or more students must submit an experiment proposal to NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland by Feb. 11. Student teams may propose experiments on a wide range of topics, from bacteria studies to weather observations.

A panel of NASA engineers and scientists will evaluate the submissions based on mission objectives, technical planning and team organization. The top eight proposals will be announced on March 4.

The top four teams will receive up to $1,000 to develop their flight experiments and travel to Glenn Research Center May 18-20. During their visit, they will have an opportunity to tour the center, watch as NASA helium weather balloons carry their experiments to the edge of space, recover the experiments and present their results at Glenn's Balloonsat Symposium.

The other four teams also will receive up to $1,000 to develop their flight experiments and will participate via the Internet when NASA scientists and engineers launch and recover their payloads during the week of May 23.

For more Balloonsat information, registration forms and project ideas, visit:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/balloonsat

This competition and similar educational programs help NASA attract and retain students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These disciplines are critical to the agency's future programs and missions.

The Balloonsat High-Altitude Flight competition is sponsored by Glenn's Educational Programs Office and is funded by the Teaching From Space (TFS) Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. For information about the TFS education program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education/tfs

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

SCAD Challenge Awards Scholarships to High School Students

/PRNewswire/ -- The Savannah College of Art and Design, the most comprehensive art and design university in the world, is seeking the next generation of talented artists and designers with its scholarship competition. The SCAD Challenge offers high school seniors and juniors an international stage to exhibit their work as well as the opportunity to be eligible for scholarships to attend the university. The competition focuses on creating projects in film, 2-D, 3-D, toy design, room design, poster design, fashion and writing.

The first competition challenged high school students to create a short film to be featured at the 2010 Savannah Film Festival. The film festival, an annual signature event hosted by SCAD, features the best in independent and innovative filmmaking from around the world. Honored guests have included Hugh Dancy, Michael Douglas, Woody Harrelson, James Ivory, Tommy Lee Jones, Sir Ian McKellen, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Renner, Isabella Rossellini and Emmy Rossum.

The SCAD Film Challenge received entries from more than 15 states and six countries. The top three senior winners were awarded artistic scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 per year while enrolled at SCAD. Students also received passes to attend the 2010 Savannah Film Festival, which presented a full range of cinematic creativity from both award-winning professionals and emerging student filmmakers. This year's senior winners were John Kim from Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Gabe Gilden from Barrington, Illinois; and Seth Boyden from Huntertown, Indiana.

The three junior winners selected by the panel of judges will experience the university this summer with full scholarships to attend SCAD Summer Seminars, workshops designed for high school students to explore a variety of creative disciplines across the SCAD curriculum. The SCAD Film Challenge junior winners were Wes Sherwin from Cartersville, Georgia; Aaron Carter from Hawthorn Woods, Illinois; and Amanda Depperschmidt from Lawrenceville, Georgia.

"The SCAD Film Challenge proved to be an overall success," said Katrine Trantham, senior director of enrollment events and programs. "All the faculty involved were extremely impressed with the level of talent exhibited and look forward to seeing the senior winners at SCAD next year."

SCAD offers the most comprehensive degree programs in film and digital media in the United States. The university offers the only major film program in the United States integrated with an acclaimed art and design institution. Students work with current, industry-standard hardware and software, learn from faculty who are practitioners as well as mentors, and have opportunities for collaboration. SCAD film and television students and alumni produce work that receives prestigious recognition. Some of their work has been showcased at Sundance, Cannes, the Los Angeles Film Festival, the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, South by Southwest, the Palm Springs Film Festival, and many others.

To learn more about the upcoming challenges, visit www.scad.edu/scadchallenge. The SCAD Film Challenge entries can be viewed at http://filmfest.scad.edu/category/scad-challenge/.

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

McIntosh's Lane Named Georgia’s Assistant Principal of the Year

Dan Lane (left) with GASSP President-Elect Dr. Mark Wilson

The best assistant principal in Georgia, and possibly the nation, is at McIntosh High in Peachtree City.

Dan Lane has been selected as Georgia’s Assistant Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP), and has been chosen to represent the state in the National Assistant Principal of the Year competition.

Each year GASSP selects an Assistant Principal of the Year at the middle and high school level, and chooses one to compete for the national title sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

The Assistant Principal of the Year program recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have demonstrated success in leadership, curriculum and personalization. These school leaders have succeeded in providing high quality learning opportunities for students, and are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession.

Lane says being Georgia’s Assistant Principal of the Year is not an award for him, but one that belongs to all of the McIntosh faculty and staff. He says the academic excellence for which McIntosh is known is due to a dedicated team of teachers and staff that work together to help all students achieve to the best of their abilities.

“Though we have outstanding test scores, when you dig down deep into our data, you will see that we have students who struggle just like everyone else. McIntosh is being proactive in helping those students now, before we see long-term ramifications in the future. It would be easy to sit on our laurels touting our excellent test scores, but that does not happen here. At McIntosh, we are committed to building up all students regardless of where they started,” says Lane.

Assistant Principals of the Year from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity will compete for the national title. Three finalists will be announced January 2011 with the winner being named during the NASSP National Convention on February 26, 2011.

As Georgia’s Assistant Principal of the Year, Lane will be honored at the State Assistant Principals of the Year Forum and Awards Gala in Washington, DC March 30-April 2, 2011.

Photo Source: Fayette County Board of Education

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Teen Science Sensations From Virginia and Georgia Take Regional Title in Prestigious Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology

Research on Computer Science and Mathematics Honored in Nation's Premier Science Research Competition for High School Students at Georgia Institute of Technology

Caelan Garrett of McLean, Virginia, Wins Top Individual Prize; Sitan Chen of Suwanee, Georgia, and Tianqi Wu of Lilburn, Georgia, Win Top Team Prize

/PRNewswire/ -- Cutting edge research on image processing and recognition and on parallel computation earned top honors tonight for Caelan Garrett and the team of Sitan Chen and Tianqi Wu in the Region Six Finals of the 2010-11 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the nation's premier science research competition for high school students.
The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. Tonight's winners will receive thousands of dollars in scholarships and be invited to compete at the National Finals in Washington, DC, December 3–6, 2010, where the winners of six regional competitions will vie for the $100,000 Grand Prize and national acclaim for extraordinary scientific achievement at the high school level.

"Each year, the Siemens Foundation invites America's high school students to make their mark in the world of science," said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, President of the Siemens Foundation. "We commend these students on rising to the challenge and pushing the envelope of scientific thought."

The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from the Georgia Institute of Technology, host of the Region Six Finals, Georgia State University and Emory University.

The Winning Individual

Caelan Garrett, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for his computer science project, An Image Processing System for Enhancing Perceptual Visibility of Imagery, which attempts to improve on simulations of human optical processing.

Mr. Garrett developed and implemented a novel adaptation of the Retinex algorithm, an equation that allows computers to model how the human eye and brain processes images. He adapted the algorithm to a new system that can enhance images obstructed by smoke, fog, shadows and haze. His research could potentially be used to increase air and marine transportation safety through improved visibility, improve the range of night vision goggles, and enhance commercial imagery.

"Mr. Garrett developed an exceptionally novel approach to the problem. The new algorithm no longer suffers from some of the limitations of the original, allowing for improved contrast and recognition when objects are obscured by either high or low intensity backgrounds," said Dr. Philip J. Santangelo, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. "His work could have a wide range of applications, from underwater imaging to the transportation industry, where high speed processing could assist in accident avoidance."

Mr. Garrett developed a passion for computer science during his freshman year and became interested in robotics after experimenting with Lego Mindstorms at a US Naval Academy summer program. As captain of the varsity Botball Robotics team, Mr. Garrett led his team to victory for two consecutive years. He is co-director of two a cappella groups and has performed in a number of musicals. Mr. Garrett aspires to become a computer science researcher and work with artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics. His mentor on the project was Dr. Mark A. Livingston of the US Naval Research Laboratory.

The Winning Team

Sitan Chen, a junior at Northview High School in Johns Creek, Georgia, and Tianqi Wu, a senior at Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship for their mathematics project, Cellular Automata to More Efficiently Compute the Collatz Map . The project looked at the Collatz conjecture, a famous unsolved mathematical problem first proposed in 1937. Mr. Chen and Mr. Wu used a parallel computing approach to simulate the conjecture's mathematical processes. Their mentor was Guanghua Chen, Harland Clarke Senior Software Engineer.

"Mr. Chen and Mr. Wu showed a high level of creativity and of mathematical and computational understanding in attacking the problem," said Dr. Eva K. Lee, Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. "They developed an elegant and simple approach via cellular automata to improve the computational time needed to verify the conjecture. Their work is an important step towards rapid parallel computation and can have a broad range of applications, including medicine, finance, energy, and climate analysis."

Mr. Chen is an accomplished pianist and violinist who has performed twice at Carnegie Hall. He enjoys fencing and volunteering at his local library and has won awards at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair and the FBLA State and National Leadership Conferences. He plans to study mathematics, aerospace engineering and music in college and aspires to become a university professor.

Mr. Wu is president of his school's math team and ranks first in his class of 575 students. He was born in Shanghai, China, where he lived for 14 years before coming to the United States. He is a member of Mu Alpha Seta and enjoys Choi Kwang Do martial arts, discussing philosophy, and reading fantasy fiction. He plans to major in mathematics and would like to become a research mathematician.

Regional Finalists

The remaining regional finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship. Regional Finalists in the individual category were:

* JooHee Choi, Langley High School, McLean, Virginia
* Sanjeet Das, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia
* Sophie Janaskie, North Broward Preparatory School, Coconut Creek, Florida
* Srikar Reddy, Lake Highland Preparatory School, Orlando, Florida

Team Regional Finalists were:

* Arjun Bhattacharya and Karthikeyan Ardhanareeswaran, William G. Enloe High School, Raleigh, North Carolina
* Carlos del-Castillo-Negrete, Scotty Chung and Yajit Jain, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
* Eric Huang, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, Illinois, and Jamie Chen, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, North Carolina
* Mathilda Lloyd and Yiwei Li, Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

UGA promotes Northrop Grumman Scholarships for high schools for the 2011 TEAMS competition

First-time participating high schools have an opportunity to earn one of three Northrop Grumman Scholarships to cover registration fees for their teams to compete in the Junior Engineering Technical Society’s 2011 TEAMS competition to be hosted by the University of Georgia on February 23.
For the past two years, several teams of high school students from across Georgia have participated in the daylong competition at UGA. New participants can earn a scholarship to cover the $125 registration fee by registering and meeting a set of criteria.

“TEAMS, or Tests of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics and Science, brings math and science to life for students, fostering creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving,” said John Mativo, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations, and a member of the UGA Faculty of Engineering, who is co-directing the competition.

The competition features high school students (grades 9-12) participating in teams of four to eight members, using real-world applications of math and science to solve some of today’s greatest engineering challenges. The TEAMS 2011 theme is “Smarter Energy. Cleaner Planet.” There are two parts: a 90-minute, 80 multiple choice question session and a 90-minute, open-ended, four-question session.

First-time participating teams seeking one of the Northrop Gruman Scholarships are required to register for the competition through the JETS-TEAMS website: www.jets.org/teams/and indicate that UGA is the team’s host. On the day of competition, the team’s school will be reimbursed the registration fee if it meets the criteria below and was notified as one of the three finalists.

1.This is the first time the school’s team has participated in the competition (new school).

2.The team is a new club in its respective school, such as Engineering/Science Club.

3.The distance the team traveled to UGA.

To earn a scholarship, teams must write a paragraph of approximately 500 words on why they should be considered for the Northrop Grumman Scholarship. Applications should be emailed to: Dr. John M Mativo at jmativo@uga.edu by Jan. 10, 2011.Selected teams will be notified by Jan. 20.

“The competition benefits students by showing them why math and science matter in the real world,” said Mativo. “Its academic rigor challenges students with new topics and new ideas. In addition, participants receive inside information about college scholarship and can win great prizes.”

Last year, participating teams—from Northside High School; Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology; The Academy of Richmond County; Cross Creek High School; Hephzibah High School; and Grayson High School—brought 64 students for competition.

Mativo is co-directing the competition with Chi Thai, an associate professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering, and member of the faculty of engineering; and assisted by Nancy Vandergrift, a program coordinator with the UGA Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics initiative.

More than 14,000 students across the country participate annually in TEAMS competitions. Questions are aligned with national education standards. UGA is one of two sites hosting the competition in Georgia. The other site is the Atlanta University Center.

TEAMS competition site sponsors include: Harvard University, Itasca Community College, National Education Partnership Alliance, Shell and Starbucks.

More information about TEAMS, the UGA College of Education and Northrop Grumman is available at the following websites: www.jets.org/teams/, www.coe.uga.edu/ and www.northropgrumman.com/.

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

National Youth CyberPatriot Competition Draws in 575-plus Teams

/PRNewswire/ -- With just two days left before registration closes, CyberPatriot has more than 575 teams registered. This premier competition is the nation's largest and fastest-growing high school cyber defense challenge and is attracting educators across the country.

CyberPatriot is the one-of-a-kind national cyber security competition produced by the Air Force Association (AFA), a nonprofit organization headquartered near Washington, D.C. Its unique structure provides students hands-on learning while competing virtually against their peers. It also allows students to learn first hand about the cyber security field and introduce many to the idea of cyber security as a profession.

Forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Japan and Korea are represented in this year's competition. Only Montana and Wyoming have yet to join.

Teams have registered from public, private, parochial and home schools in many states in the competition's Open Division. Additionally, Junior ROTC units of all Services and Civil Air Patrol squadrons are rapidly filling the All-Service Division in the two-track competition.

Teams of five, with an approved coach (usually a teacher), learn to defend computer networks from real-life computer threat scenarios. In the preliminaries, hundreds of teams compete online using software provided by CyberPatriot to competitively solve vulnerabilities in a network. The top teams then compete again in a series of online rounds to determine the finalists for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. and the Championship Round at the Gaylord National Convention Center in April 2011.

"CyberPatriot gives young people an inside look at an exciting field that will be an important career path," said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner. "Our competition is a great venue to educate high school students on cybersecurity through a competition that's also a lot of fun."

Coaches can learn more about CyberPatriot and sign up at www.uscyberpatriot.org. Information is also available from the CyberPatriot staff at info@uscyberpatriot.org.

CyberPatriot is presented by Northrop Grumman, with founding partners SAIC and the CIAS at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

The AFA is a 501(C)(3), nonprofit organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation. AFA has over 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing 120,000 members.

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

National High School Cyber Defense Competition Exceeds 450 Teams

competition/PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association announced today that CyberPatriot now has more than 450 teams registered to participate in the premier high school cyber defense competition. Only Iowa, Montana and Wyoming have yet to join the contest.

CyberPatriot is the nation's largest and fastest-growing high school cyber defense competition. With 47 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Japan and Korea already represented, word is getting out to high school educators across the country. Teams have registered from public, private, parochial and home schools in many states in the competition's Open Division. Additionally, Junior ROTC units of all Services and Civil Air Patrol squadrons are rapidly filling the All-Service Division in the two-track competition.

CyberPatriot provides students interactive learning while competing virtually against their peers. Teams of five, with an approved coach (usually a teacher), learn to defend computer networks from real-life computer threat scenarios. In the preliminaries, hundreds of teams compete online using software provided by CyberPatriot to competitively solve vulnerabilities in a network. The top teams then compete again in a series of online rounds to determine the finalists for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC and the Championship Round at the Gaylord National Convention Center in April 2011.

"CyberPatriot calls attention to one of the nation's most critical needs by exciting, educating and motivating the talent who will become the country's next generation of cyber leaders," said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner. "Educators are continually learning about this great opportunity for their students, so we're excited to have this number of registered schools in our unique competition."

Coaches can learn more about CyberPatriot and sign up at www.uscyberpatriot.org. Information is also available from the CyberPatriot staff at info@uscyberpatriot.org.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

HHS Announces National Effort to Reshape and Raise Quality in Head Start Programs

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new proposed regulations that for the first time require lower performing Head Start programs to compete against other entities for continued funding. The proposed regulations will be implemented with a number of new training and technical assistance initiatives to help Head Start grantees meet higher standards.

Under the proposed rules, Head Start grantees will be required to compete for their grants if they fall short of quality benchmarks, including classroom instruction and health and safety standards as well as financial accountability and integrity. Among the factors that will be considered is a classroom assessment that was developed by researchers at the University of Virginia and has been validated through rigorous research.

"These new regulations represent an important step in raising the bar on quality in Head Start programs," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said. "Head Start has a critical mission - to help vulnerable children achieve their full potential. It is a top priority for the Obama Administration to ensure that the program fulfills that mission by holding programs accountable for classroom quality and high standards of program integrity."

Under the proposed rule, at least 25 percent of grantees will be required to compete for funding. This proposal goes beyond a recommendation from an advisory committee convened in early 2008 that 15 to 20 percent of programs compete for funding. The Head Start proposed rule is consistent with the Administration's broad commitment to hold those that receive federal funding accountable and to use competition to ensure that only the highest quality entities receive federal funding.

HHS is also announcing this week, four new national training and technical assistance centers which will identify and disseminate evidence-based best practices to local Head Start programs. Head Start training and technical assistance centers will support Head Start programs to bring best practices into Head Start classrooms around the country, promoting continuous improvement and innovation at the ground level. HHS is also placing expert mentors/coaches in a number of Head Start programs across the country to provide on-the-ground training to teachers and program directors, to help them improve their classrooms. Further, 10 exceptional local Head Start programs, each nominated by the governor in its state, are being named as Centers of Excellence and will provide peer-to-peer technical assistance. A goal of all of these training and technical assistance initiatives is to help Head Start grantees meet the standards articulated in the proposed rule that is also being released today.

"These important reforms will directly benefit the children and families we serve," said David Hansell, Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. "Head Start and Early Head Start serve nearly a million of our most vulnerable children during the critical first few years of cognitive and social development. Holding programs accountable for meeting quality standards, and providing the help grantees need to meet these standards, will ensure that programs provide a quality Head Start experience that children need to be successful in school and life."

"A renewed era of innovation, improvement and integrity in Head Start is here," Secretary Sebelius said. "Helping all children realize their dreams and potential will help us build tomorrow's workforce, strengthen our economy, and fulfill American's promise. Giving poor children and families the tools they need to succeed is in everyone's best interest."

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Siemens Competition Deadline Approaching October 1

/PRNewswire/ -- Less than two months remain for students to enter the 2010 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. A signature program of the Siemens Foundation, this annual competition for high school students awards college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 for original research projects in both individual and team categories. Established in 1999, the Siemens Foundation has granted more than 800 scholarships through the Siemens Competition in support of our nation's future scientists and engineers.

Entries must be received by Friday, October 1, 2010, at 5 p.m. EDT. Instructions and online registration can be found at the Siemens Foundation website, www.siemens-foundation.org, and at www.collegeboard.com/siemens. Students may enter as individuals or as members of a team. Those who are not able to complete registration online may call 1-877-358-6777 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT for further assistance.

The College Board administers the Siemens Competition on behalf of the Siemens Foundation. Entries will be judged at the regional level in November by esteemed scientists and faculty at six prestigious universities: California Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Notre Dame; and The University of Texas at Austin. Winners from each regional competition will continue on to the national finals, scheduled for December 3-6, 2010, at George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. and will be judged by a panel of prominent scientists and mathematicians.

The Siemens Competition continues to attract the nation's brightest minds and innovators of tomorrow. The 2009 national winners took on revolutionary research in biophysics and mathematics. Ruoyi Jiang, a senior at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, New York, won the $100,000 scholarship in the individual category for research on chemotherapy drug resistance. Sean Karson, a senior at Trinity Preparatory High School in Winter Park, Florida; Dan Liu, a junior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas; and Kevin Chen, a junior at William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, won the team category and will share a $100,000 prize for their graph theory research.

"The Siemens Foundation is proud to continue our tradition of supporting this country's rising talents in science and math," said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation. "The young science stars of the Siemens Competition are solving tomorrow's problems today."

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Issues a Statement on the Selection of Round Two Race to the Top Winners

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools today released the following statement from its President and CEO, Peter Groff, on the states selected for funding by the U.S. Department of Education in the second round of the Race to the Top competition:

"We are pleased to see five states that are strongly supportive of public charter schools among those awarded Race to the Top grants today. According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' annual rankings of state charter laws, the District of Columbia has the second strongest law in the country. Georgia has the fourth strongest, followed by Massachusetts, New York and Florida, with the fifth, eighth and eleventh strongest charter laws, respectively. These states are boldly incorporating public charter schools into their overall efforts to improve public education.

However, we are concerned that the selection of three states - Maryland, North Carolina and Ohio - sends the wrong message. They have clearly shown a resistance to embracing the role of public charter schools in education reform. Even the U.S. Department of Education scored theses states among the lowest of those awarded grants. Sadly, these states are still being rewarded for actively limiting public-education options for the families that need them the most. Maryland has the worst charter law in the country, North Carolina has a cap of 100 charters that it reached almost 10 years ago, and Ohio has some of the most arbitrary caps in the country.

Since the Race to the Top grants competition was announced in June 2009, 15 states have lifted their caps on charter schools and one state has enacted a charter law. We applaud the Obama Administration for its role in encouraging these positive changes. Overall, six of the 12 winners in the first and second rounds have removed restrictions on growth: Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee.

As we approach the potential third round of funding, we urge the Administration to recommit to only awarding grants to those states that are truly committed to all facets of education reform."

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (http://www.publiccharters.org/) is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. The Alliance works to increase the number of high-performing charter schools available to all families, particularly low-income and minority families who currently do not have access to quality public schools. The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement. More than 1.6 million students attend nearly 5,000 charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia.

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Friday, August 20, 2010

Student Engineers - NASA and NIA Want Your Ideas

/PRNewswire/ -- University engineering students could play a part in designing a future space project for NASA as part of a competition sponsored by NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA).

The 2011 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage or RASC-AL contest is aimed at undergraduate and graduate engineering students.

"We've been holding this competition for almost a decade now and we have seen some amazing ideas from the students," said Pat Troutman, senior systems engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. "The students say they get something out of it too. They like that they get a chance to apply classroom knowledge to actual aerospace challenges."

This year students can choose one of four themes for their project: designs for a cost-effective 2030 mission to a near-Earth object; approaches to reduce the risk of orbital debris from space junk; technology-enabled human Mars missions; and novel concepts to engage the general public in human exploration missions. Student teams submit a summary of and an outreach plan for their proposed projects by February 4, 2011.

The RASC-AL steering committee made up of NASA and industry experts will evaluate proposals and select as many as 10 undergraduate and five graduate teams to compete against each other at a forum next June in Florida.

"Each year, the RASC-AL competition engages some of the best engineering talent from across the nation," said Dr. Robert Lindberg, NIA president and executive director. "The student teams are challenged to think beyond the classroom and the textbook, and explore the very limits of human creativity using the engineering skills they've mastered in school."

Teams selected submit a written report, prepare a poster and give an oral presentation at the RASC-AL forum. The June event gives faculty and students the chance to meet with NASA and industry experts, introduce concepts and data from the competition into NASA exploration program planning, develop relationships that could lead to participation in other NASA student research programs and show the benefits of NASA-university-industry cooperation.

For more information about the 2011 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage competition, please go to: http://www.nianet.org/rascal

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Friday, July 23, 2010

NASA Seeks Undergrads to Defy Gravity for Science and Engineering

/PRNewswire/ -- NASA is offering undergraduate students an opportunity to test an experiment in weightless science as part of the agency's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program. Proposals are due by Oct. 27.

The program, managed by the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, provides aspiring explorers a chance to propose, design and fabricate a reduced gravity experiment. Selected teams will get to test and evaluate their experiment aboard a microgravity aircraft. The specially modified jet aircraft flies approximately 30 roller-coaster-like climbs and dips to produce periods of micro and hyper-gravity, ranging from weightlessness to three times the force of Earth's gravity.

"This project gives students a head start in preparing for future ventures by allowing them to do hands-on research and engineering in a truly reduced gravity laboratory," Program Manager Douglas Goforth said.

Interested teams also should submit a letter of intent by Sept. 22. This step is optional, but serves as an introductory notice that a team plans to submit a proposal for the competition. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Full-time students must be at least 18 years old.

NASA will announce the selected participants on Dec. 8. The actual flights will take place in summer 2011. Selected teams may invite a full-time, accredited journalist to fly with them and document the experiment and gravity-defying experience.

With this program, NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation's education programs with the goal of strengthening the future workforce.

To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education

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Friday, March 12, 2010

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute Awards $2,000 Grant to "Green" Start-Up Company Founded by Georgia Tech Students

/PRNewswire/ -- The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is proud to award $2,000 in prize money to "Waste to Watts (W2W): Solution-Based Recycling," an Atlanta-based start-up company with a mission to end energy poverty in third-world countries and reduce environmentally hazardous electronic waste.

GEI awarded the prize as part of the 2010 Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition, which promotes entrepreneurship among Georgia Tech students and alumni by encouraging them to launch cutting-edge, high-value businesses. GEI has proudly sponsored the GREENGUARD Sustainability Award for the past three years.

"We are thrilled to support to the Waste to Watts team in their efforts to tackle this very important health and environmental crisis," said Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of GEI. "These talented young entrepreneurs are trailblazers in both the green space and the health space, and we wish them the best of luck as they continue developing their prototype technology."

Founded by two Georgia Tech seniors, a Duke University sophomore, and a Duke University alumnus, W2W aims to repurpose electronic waste--like computer equipment and discarded lead acid batteries--to create an inexpensive, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for developing nations. This is important because in developing nations, frequent power surges, daily blackouts, and other electricity failures damage the computers and medical equipment used in hospitals, which results in poor and unreliable health care. Moreover, dead lead acid batteries--which contain hazardous heavy metals--are often disposed of improperly and contribute significantly to environmental pollution.

"Through the generosity of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, we are able to recognize student entrepreneurs who apply creative engineering and business solutions to address critical environmental problems," said Alan Flury, director of BPC. "I can easily envision a day when every student venture competing in the BPC will be environmentally sustainable. When that occurs, it will be largely attributable to our partnership with the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute."

W2W's founders say they plan to use their prize money to help pay for a new Web site and the continued development of their prototype.

About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an industry-independent, third-party, not-for-profit organization that aims to improve human health through programs that reduce people's exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. The GREENGUARD Certification Programs certify products for low chemical emissions and provide consumers with a resource for choosing healthier products and materials for indoor environments. All certified products must meet stringent standards for low chemical emissions based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide. For more information and a complete listing of certified products, visit www.greenguard.org.

About Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition (BPC)

The Georgia Tech BPC strives to create an integrated learning experience that promotes academic excellence in the development of entrepreneurial concepts and business plans; to encourage the founding of high-value, leading-edge enterprises and support student teams who choose to move forward with the startup of their businesses; and to inspire students to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice. Since its inception in 2001, BPC has awarded over $500,000 in prizes to over 550 students and alumni. Participants compete to win best business plan, most fundable business plan, most innovative intellectual property, and most environmentally sustainable business plan, among others. Panels of topical experts and entrepreneurs participate as judges and determine the winner in each category. For more information, visit http://mgt.gatech.edu/.

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Friday, January 22, 2010

High School Students Can Send Experiments Flying With NASA

/PRNewswire/ -- NASA is inviting student teams nationwide to design and build an experiment or technology demonstration to be sent to the near space environment of the stratosphere, an altitude of 100,000 feet. The Balloonsat High Altitude Flight competition will launch on a NASA weather balloon May 25-27 in Cleveland.

To participate, student teams in grades nine through 12 must submit a research or flight demonstration proposal to NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland by Friday, Feb. 19. Teams of four or more may pursue a wide variety of topics in this competition, including science and weather observations, remote sensing and image processing. A panel of engineers and scientists at Glenn will evaluate and select four top-ranked proposals by Friday, March 5.

The top four teams will be awarded travel expenses and up to $1,000 to develop their flight experiment or technology demonstration. Teams will participate in three flight days to release, track and recover their experiments. In addition, students will tour Glenn facilities and present their findings at Glenn's Balloonsat Symposium. All participants visiting NASA must be U.S. citizens.

NASA will host an informational webcast about the competition Jan. 27 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. EST. A link to the webcast and additional information about Balloonsat High Altitude Flight is available at:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/balloonsat

This and similar education programs help NASA attract and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines critical to the agency's future missions. NASA's student Balloonsat competition is sponsored by Teaching From Space, a NASA Education Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the Educational Programs Office at Glenn and the Ohio Space Grant Consortium.

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Lexus and Scholastic to Award $500,000 in Grants and Scholarships

/PRNewswire/ -- Since launching in 2007, the Lexus Eco Challenge has inspired and empowered more than 8,500 middle and high school students to learn about the environment and take a stand to improve it. From educating the community about the benefits of solar ovens to producing bio-fuel from used fast food oil, students across the country have tackled a wide range of topics and issues. Students are once again invited to participate in the third annual Lexus Eco Challenge for a chance to win part of $500,000 in grants and scholarships.

The Challenge has two distinct elements:
-- Standards-based supplementary educational materials - encourages
teachers to integrate creative lesson plans into their classrooms to
help teach students about the environment.

-- Competition to reward environmental action - helps young people apply
what they've learned in class through the program and empowers them to
make improvements in their community by participating in the
environmental team challenges.

"We're anxious to see what this third year brings," said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "The competition is getting tougher as we see the teams working harder to plan and implement innovative, creative and effective programs. It's clear that the Lexus Eco Challenge is making a difference, and it's encouraging to know that we're inspiring the next generation to become responsible stewards of the environment."

The Challenges and Rewards

The Lexus Eco Challenge registration opens on Sept. 28, 2009, and will conclude with the announcement of the first-place and grand-prize-winning teams during Earth Month, April 2010. Middle and high school teams, comprised of 5-10 students and one teacher advisor, are invited to participate in one or both of the two initial challenges, each addressing different environmental elements - land/water and air/climate.

For each of the challenges, teams will define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report the results. Submission deadlines are: Challenge #1 (Land/Water) - Nov. 6, 2009 and Challenge #2 (Air/Climate) - Jan. 19, 2010.

Each of the challenges will have 16 winning teams - eight middle school and eight high school teams. The winning teams will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher and school. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special Web page to inspire other students to take action in their communities.

In mid-February, the winning teams from the first two challenges will be invited to participate in the Final Challenge. Teams will be asked to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world through innovative ideas that are communicated to a wide audience. From the Final Challenge entries, 14 first-place teams and two grand-prize-winning teams will be selected. Each of the 14 first-place teams will receive a total of $15,000 in grants and scholarships, and the two grand-prize-winning teams will each receive $30,000. The money will be shared by the students, their teacher advisors and their schools.

Judging Criteria

All entries for the initial two challenges will be judged on a variety of criteria, including the overall action plan and team effort, the quality of writing, and supporting materials. A select panel of judges will consider questions such as: does the action plan show the team's clear understanding of the environmental issue; does the action plan clearly describe the results; does the action plan communicate a persuasive argument; and does the action plan communicate team effort?

Full program information including rules and entry details can be viewed at www.scholastic.com/lexus .

Teaching Tools for the Classroom

The Lexus Eco Challenge educational materials developed with Scholastic are designed to align with national teaching standards for science, social studies, civics and language arts.

In addition to providing teachers with the information necessary to participate in the challenges, the Web site (www.scholastic.com/lexus) also has extensive tools for them to use in their classrooms. For each challenge, the Web site has lesson plans and teacher instructions including questions to help guide a discussion about the current challenge topic, facts about the topic, and guidelines for a specific classroom project.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

750 Student Teams Wanted for World's Largest Rocket Competition

/PRNewswire/ -- Registration for the world's largest rocket competition, the Team America Rocketry Challenge, is open to 750 student teams in grades 7-12 from any U.S. school, home school or non-profit youth organization. Registration for the 2010 spring contest is open now through November 30.

The annual rocket contest, sponsored by AIA, challenges teams of three to 10 students to design and build a rocket that will climb to 825 feet with a raw egg payload and stay aloft for 40 to 45 seconds. The payload must then return to earth unbroken. The 2010 contest rules and registration information are available at www.rocketcontest.org.

"The Team America Rocketry Challenge is fostering the next generation of engineers by sparking an interest in math and physics in a fun, team-based environment," said Marion Blakey, AIA president and CEO. "The students are often mentored by real-world engineers and scientists and many teams are sponsored by AIA member companies. TARC is truly an invaluable educational experience."

AIA sponsors TARC with the National Association of Rocketry, NASA, the Defense Department, the American Association of Physics Teachers and AIA member companies. The contest is in its eighth year and is proving to be the needed catalyst to generate interest in students with the sciences. According to a survey of TARC alumni:

-- 83 percent became more interested in science and math as a result of
TARC.
-- 81 percent gained a better understanding of how math, science, and
technology are used to solve problems in the real world.
-- 70 percent became more interested in a STEM career as a result of
TARC.
-- 67 percent intend to choose a STEM major in college.

The top 100 TARC team finalists are notified on April 9 that they have earned a trip to the competition May 15, just outside of Washington, DC. Student participants compete for $60,000 in prizes, scholarships and a trip to the 2010 international air show in London for an international "Fly-Off" with student teams from France and the UK.

The aerospace industry is actively looking for young people to join its ranks. The industry is facing a future workforce shortage as many employees will reach retirement age in the next decade. A recent Aviation Week and Space Technology survey found that almost 40 percent of the workforce is over the age of 50. For more information on careers in aerospace, visit www.launchintoaerospace.org.

Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services, and information technology.

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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

VSU Hosts GISA State Literary Competition March 17-19

While most of campus is quiet with students gone on Spring break, a special group of high school students will take the stage as VSU hosts the Georgia Independent Schools Association’s State Literary competition all day Tuesday through Thursday, March 17-19, in the Fine Arts building.

For the fourth consecutive year, high school students from around the state will tune their voices and present dynamic oral presentations against the state’s finest in categories such as men’s quartet, women’s trio, solo, extemporaneous speaking, oral interpretation and more. VSU professors and local professions will judge the events for GISA classification A, AA and AAA performers.

The event will not only provide a special place for GISA to host its annual event, it will also give students an up close look at performance on VSU’s beautiful campus and the chance to network with potential future professors.

“The President of the program Michael Drake, contacted us four years ago about the possibility of hosting the event here and VSU was pleased to be able to accommodate them during our spring break,” said Coordinator Doug Farwell, who added that approximately 1,000 student could compete this week. “The program consists of events relating to programs housed within the College of the Arts, so naturally this college stepped up to coordinate the events on campus.”

Visit http://www.gisa-schools.org/sch_display_activity.asp?category=17 to view a full schedule or call VSU’s Music Department at (229) 333-5804 for more information. More on GISA can be found at www.gisa-schools.org .

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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

UGA to Host Competition to Inspire High School Students about Engineering

The University of Georgia will host eight teams of students from seven Georgia high schools for a Junior Engineering Technical Society competition on Thursday, Feb. 19. The theme of the national competition, to be held at Driftmier Engineering Center on the UGA campus, is Behind the Scenes at America’s Theme Parks.

An annual academic competition designed to give students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to discover real-world applications of math and science, the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science program utilizes actual engineering scenarios to challenge students and demonstrate the possibilities of a career in engineering. The national competitions for 2009 will take place at more than 75 locations across the country between Feb. 2 and March 15. Thousands of students are hosted by colleges and universities every year to inspire critical thinking and teamwork while fostering enthusiasm for math and science during the one-day event.

“This competition can inspire students far beyond the classroom by helping them see the wonders math and science can bring to life such as roller coasters, monitoring equipment in hospitals, at play grounds and more,” said John Mativo, an associate professor in the College of Education’s department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations and one of the co-chairs for the event. “When students compete in TEAMS they learn the answer to that age-old question, ‘When will I ever use this?’ And the answer is as an engineer.”

“With this year’s JETS/TEAMS competition, we wanted to provide the students within the Northeast Georgia area the opportunity to evaluate their aptitude at solving some typical engineering problems encountered by designers of theme parks,” said Chi Thai, associate professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering and a co-chair of the event. “The goal is for students to recognize ‘engineering’ aspects in their everyday life,” Thai said.

Both Mativo and Thai are members of the UGA Faculty of Engineering. Thai will hold a workshop on robotics for advisors during the afternoon test session.

For more information on the event and to register teams for the 2009 JETS/TEAMS competition at UGA, go to http://www.engr.uga.edu/people/thai/JETS-TEAMS.html

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