Your student could be one of America’s Top Young Scientists! Learn how your students can enter to participate in this year’s challenge!
As the winter months are pushed aside to welcome warmer weather, and students begin to get energized about their futures, it with great pleasure that I can announce that there is still time to submit your entry for the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge! The deadline for submissions is Thursday, April 19th, at 8 PM ET, so get your entries submitted right away! Read on for more information about the challenge and for tips on creating your entry.
Students in grades 5-8 are challenged to identify an everyday problem that directly impacts their family, community, community, or global population and create a solution to solve it. Sounds pretty interesting… right?
What is the Young Scientist Challenge?
The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is a no-cost competition for students in grades 5-8 that asks them to come up with a unique solution to solve an everyday problem. Ten finalists will be chosen along with one grand prize winner.
Challenge Requirements
To compete in this challenge, students are required to create and submit a 1-2 minute video that:
- Explains the problem. How does it impact you and your family, community or the global population? How does that make you feel and why are you inspired to fix the problem?
- Describes a new innovation or solution that could solve or impact the problem;
- Explains how the innovation relates to one (or more) of 3M’s expertise areas listed below.
- Explains the science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics behind their innovation; and
- Illustrates how your innovation could both address the everyday problem you've identified and have a broader impact locally or globally.
Prizes
- One Grand Prize Winner will receive $25,000, the title of America’s Next Top Scientist, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a taping of a Discovery Network show
- Three Runners Up will receive an opportunity to attend a taping of a Discovery Network program.
- Six students will be rewarded with a $500 excursion to “Excitations”
- The Top Ten students will all receive $1,000, an exclusive summer mentorship with a 3M Scientist, and a trip to the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota
- 51 State Merit Winners will receive a 3M Innovation Prize Pack and recognition on the Young Scientist Lab website
How Can I Support My Students?
The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is all about providing students an amazing opportunity to reach for the stars and be as creative as they can be. Parents and teachers looking to support their young scientists can visit the Young Scientist Lab Support Page to access dozens of support materials and public relations packets to show appreciation and encouragement throughout the process.
Challenge Closes on April 19!
For More Information
- Young Scientist Challenge Homepage
- About the Challenge
- Subscribe on YouTube
- Follow the Challenge on Twitter
- Learn more on Facebook
Important Dates and Deadlines
- April 19, 2018 at 8 PM ET – Challenge Closes!
- May 2018 – Judging Begins
- June 2018 – Finalists are Notified
- October 15-16, 2018 – Final Event at 3M Headquarters
- October 16, 2018 – Grand Prize Winner is chosen
Let’s All Support our Young Scientists
One of the most important things we can give our students as they grow in our classrooms is encouragement. There is nothing like seeing a student create and craft an idea that buds into reality. For more information on the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Lab Challenge.
TeacherCast wishes to thank Discovery Education for sponsoring this post.
About the author, Jeffrey Bradbury
Jeff Bradbury, creator of TeacherCast, and father of the famous @EduTriplets Thanks for checking out TeacherCast today. Please take a moment to find me on all of my Social Media channels!