Posts Tagged ‘Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge’

Discovery Attends The White House Science Fair

April 23, 2013 | by kdelmonico

As I have mentioned on the blog many times, working at Discovery Communications has some major perks, but yesterday may be an all-time high point for me. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the White House Science Fair yesterday, with students from all across the country exhibiting their incredible projects for President Obama and Science Fair attendees.

When I arrived at the White House, I was immediately blown away by the projects the students were exhibiting. We had Discovery Education and 3M’s Young Scientist Challenge winner Deepika Kurup exhibiting her innovative, cost effective and sustainable water-purification system. As well, the Pinelands Eco Scienteers, winners of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, had the opportunity to exhibit their project to President Obama as he came into the briefing.

Another Discovery family member, Kal Penn, of Discovery Channel’s upcoming  Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius, was on site at the event, making the rounds with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, to learn more about the student’s projects. Also in attendance were Bill Nye the Science Guy, LeVar Burton, NASA’s Leland Melvin and, my personal favorite as a New York Giants fan, Victor Cruz.

I’ve included some photos of the event below and for more, check out our Facebook album.  And of course, for more science awesomeness, tune into Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius on May 1 at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel. The event was an exciting example of the amazing  and we were honored to have been a part of the White House Science Fair 2013!

President Obama addresses the crowd at the White House Science Fair

 

Valerie Jarrett and Kal Penn Pose With a White House Science Fair Team

 

Deepika Kurup, Winner of Discovery Education and 3M’s Young Scientist Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

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Siemens & Discovery Education Announce ‘We Can Change the World Challenge’ Winners

May 30, 2012 | by kdelmonico
High School Grand Prize Winners: Team Pinelands Eco Scienteers

Team Pinelands Eco Scienteers

Discovery Education is a proud supporter of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a sustainability challenge for students across the nation, encouraging them to tackle environmental issues with solutions that will positively impact the environment. Today, the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the College Board announced today the grand prize winners of the fourth annual Challenge.

I am always completely blown away by the ability of students to tackle very real challenges that stump some of the most prominent professionals in their field. Earlier in the year, my colleague attended the White House Science Fair (along with the 2011 We Can Change the World Challenge winners!) and I was extremely impressed as she was relating some of the projects that these amazing students were being honored for. In surveying some of the winning teams’ projects for the 2012 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, I definitely was not let down. For instance, a team of high schoolers in Charlotte, North Carolina developed a method of harnessing energy through electromagnetic inductance in an effort to become less dependent on non-reusable energy. Another middle school team in New Jersey designed technology that reminds drivers when they are idling for longer than three minutes in an effort to reduce emissions and, ultimately, sparking legislation on the issue in New Jersey.

The winning high school team, Team Pinelands Eco Scienteers from Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, sought to tackle the issue of deforestation in many parts of the world where the trees are used in order to cook food on a fire. The team focused on developing a viable alternative through which wood is replaced by biomass waste products such as peanut shells, pine needles, banana peels, sugar cane waste and corn stalks. As the grand prize winning high school team, they will be awarded, among other prizes, a $50,000 scholarship to be divided amongst the team.

Want to get your son, daughter, student, niece, nephew, etc., involved in the next Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge? Visit WeCanChange.com for more information and encourage them to like the Siemens We Can Change the World page on Facebook for inspiration and updates on next year’s competition!

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President Obama Puts the Spotlight on STEM Education, Young Scientists

February 7, 2012 | by aharris
Neil deGrasse Tyson and DE3MYSC Winner Braeden Benedict

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium, and DE3MYSC Winner Braeden Benedict

Today I had the honor of attending the second White House Science Fair, hosted by President Barack Obama to shed light on the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and our next generation of scientists. It was an amazing experience, and not just because it was at the White House.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge Winning Team 6000 n 60 with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge Winning Team 6000 n 60 with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

For several hours, students and guests were immersed in a world where Bill Nigh and Neil deGrasse Tyson are the rock stars and immediate plans for middle schoolers include obtaining patents and meeting with legislators to influence future policies. Among the 100 students from more than 45 states attending the event were winners of the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge (view more pictures from today on Flickr).

The President took the opportunity to meet with several of the students (including the We Can Change the World Middle School Winners, Team 6000 n 60) before addressing an audience of science leaders, teachers, students, parents and media. Taking the time to recognize several of the budding scientists present, including one young scientist who got the news that she had won her contest as her family was living in a homeless shelter. You can read the President’s remarks online or watch the press conference below:

Congratulations to all of the students honored today!

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President Obama to Make Discovery Channel Debut on ‘MythBusters’

October 18, 2010 | by aharris
President Obama and the MythBusters

President Barack Obama records an episode of the Discovery Channel’s television show MythBusters with co-hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage in the Library of the White House, July 27, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)*

Living in D.C., we’re somewhat used to visits from foreign dignitaries, the occasional championship football/basketball/baseball team, etc. However, today President Barack Obama welcomed a bevy of scientific minds to the White House, including Discovery Channel‘s very own Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, as a part of the White House Science Fair.

We’ve been geeking out with MythBusters fans today on Twitter and Facebook — following the adventures of Adam and Jamie as they came across everyone from Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu to Dean Kamen (of Planet Green’s Dean of Invention) and Bill Nye.

While the primary focus is on STEM education and recognizing budding scientific minds, President Obama also announced his participation in an upcoming episode of MythBusters, saying:  “I can announce today that I taped a special guest appearance for their show, although I didn’t get to blow anything up…I was a little frustrated about that.” (Watch the video below!)

Click for more Mythbusters Video

The President will be featured in the December 8th episode entitled “Archimedes Solar Ray,” as he challenges Adam and Jamie to revisit an ancient and somewhat controversial myth:  Did Greek scientist and polymath Archimedes set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors and the reflected rays of the sun?

Also in attendance at the White House Science Fair are Liam McCarty of Elm Grove, Wisconsin, the winner of the 2010 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and Raj Raina and Yash Sathe, from Novi, Michigan, the middle school winners of the 2010 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge.

Read more about Discovery Communications’ commitment to the President’s call to action for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) awareness, and find out more about today’s announcement.

*This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

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