Following the White House launch of “Educate to Innovate,” a campaign to improve U.S. education in science, technology, engineering and math, plans are taking shape for a National Lab Day in early May.

Organizers of National Lab Day are developing a website intended to foster collaboration between K-12 teachers and scientists and engineers in their area. The intent is to allow teachers to get expert help with a lab project or hands-on learning experience and possibly arrange school visits by science and engineering professionals, and university faculty and students.

In another development, T.H.E. Journal reports that industry groups and companies have teamed up with nonprofit MacArthur Foundation to promote interest in creating video games.

Two student competitions are planned, with a combined $300,000 in prizes: Game Changers, which seeks the creation of new experiences using an existing game, SCEA’s LittleBigPlanet, that enhance STEM principles; and the STEM National Video Game Competition, which seeks original ideas that can be developed into Web-executable, browser-based, STEM-related computer and video games.

Altogether, companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies have committed over $260 million in financial and in-kind support to assist the Educate to Innovate campaign, with the aim of generating and maintaining student interest and enthusiasm in science and math. President Obama has identified three STEM priorities: increasing STEM literacy; improving the quality of math and science teaching; and expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities.

More information on “Educate to Innovate” is available online.

Filed under: K-12 Education News