STEM Celebration
Last month, President Obama hosted the White House Science Fair in Washington to celebrate the winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions. The White House Science Fair is in keeping with a commitment the President made at the launch of his Educate to Innovate campaign last November to move American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.
Obama viewed exhibits of winning student projects, ranging from breakthrough basic research to new inventions, and delivered remarks congratulating these students on their diligence, desire to tackle hard problems, and drive to invent and discover.
He also announced his personal appearance on the upcoming December 8, 2010 episode of Discovery Channel’s MythBusters, a popular television show which uses science to determine the truth behind urban legends.
Take a look at what some of these winning students across the country have created as part of the competition:
- A motorized chair for a student with disabilities (Phoenix, Ariz.)
- A model solar car (Billings, Mo.)
- A safer sports helmet (Los Angeles, Calif.)
- A navigation system to help improve spacecraft travel (Albuquerque, N.M.)
- A robot built from scratch (Ambler, Pa.)
- A new cancer therapy using light energy (Richardson, Tex.)
- A smart toilet that conserves water (Ava, N.Y.)
- A design for a jet that reduces fuel consumption (Baldwin City, Kan.)
- A model of “Yeshilist,” an imaginary city that anticipates the accommodation needs of citizens who lose their homes during an earthquake. (Oakton, Va.)
- An aid for arthritis patient to open doors (Madison, Miss.)
- Research on bone implants (Bethlehem, Pa.)
- A steering wheel that combats distracted driving (Londonderry, N.H.)
- A water purifier for rural communities (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
- An eco-friendly printing paper and ink collector (Mercer Island, Wash.)
Wouldn’t you love to be the proud owner of one of these inventions? Education in math and science is so important to the future of our country and economy that the “Educate to Innovate” campaign has resulted in over $700 million in financial and in-kind support for STEM programs. Obama has made STEM education a priority as part of the Administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top competition, where states are being encouraged to develop a comprehensive strategy to improve achievement in STEM subjects, to partner with local institutions, and to broaden participation of women and underrepresented minorities. “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too,” the President said. We couldn’t agree more!
The White House Science Fair kicked off a week that culminated with the USA Science and Engineering Festival on the National Mall and in 50 satellite locations, with aspirations to engage more than a million people nationwide.
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