Raytheon “Build It Better” Contest
Posted on March 21st, 2013 by Mary Lord
Is there something you use at school — in the classroom, on the field, in your science lab, on the playground, or anywhere on school grounds — that isn’t designed as well as it could be? Ratheon’s MathMovesU “Build It Better” contest is offering cash awards for the best ideas to improve those everyday items. Submission deadline is April 16.
Filed under: K-12 Outreach Programs | Comment »
Tags: Competitions for Students, Contest, engineering contests, Internet Resources, Scholarships and Fellowships
Design competitions are a great way to get students excited about STEM, but finding up-to-date information in time to sign up can be difficult. Engineering Contests, a new aggregator of engineering competitions and scholarships for K-12 and college students, offers a one-stop shop that’s updated monthly.
The 2013 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships are available to graduating high school seniors in urban districts represented by the Council of the Great City Schools. Four $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to two African American and two Hispanic students on behalf of the former NASA astronaut, physician and businessman, Dr. Bernard Harris.
Scholarships that target students interested in engineering provide an excellent way to help pay for the rising costs of higher education. Since engineering scholarships are plentiful and come from a variety of sources, such as corporations, non-profits, foundations, institutions, and governmental bodies, future engineers have a host of opportunities available to them.
Applications are now open for the 2012-13 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator program. Interested educators should use the online application. This fellowship, in its 23rd year, aims to provide teachers voice in Washington D.C. regarding Federal STEM education programs and policies.
Angela Zhang, a high school student from Cupertino, Calif., won the 2011 Siemens Competition and a $100,000 scholarship for research that created a tiny particle she likened to a “Swiss army knife of cancer treatments” because of its precision in targeting cancer tumors. She was one of six individuals and six teams competing in this year’s annual Siemens Foundation high school science competition. The final judging took place over the weekend in Washington, D.C. with winners announced December 4. Washington, D.C.
The NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project awards one-year fellowships each year to over 40 current and prospective teachers. Endeavor Fellows receive award-winning STEM Professional Development, taking graduate courses in an innovative, LIVE (online) format from the comfort of their home or school. 
Pathways to Science supports pathways to the STEM fields. It places particular emphasis on connecting underrepresented groups with STEM programs, funding, mentoring, and resources. This website features programs such as undergraduate summer research opportunities, graduate fellowships, postdoctoral positions, and recruitment and retention materials.
If your students want to become engineers, encourage them to explore an array of scholarships offered by colleges and universities, non-profit organizations and foundations, honor societies, companies, and government. They can also compete for prizes. But, caution them that the search can get complicated.
