Making the Future Scholarship Application Due 3/31/13

Cognizant is sponsoring a design-based scholarship for undergraduate college students in STEM fields.  Candidates will be required to submit documentation of their hands-on project that features creativity and innovation.  The scholarships are for $5,000 payable to the two- or four-year university for the US student's account; students must have a GPA of 2.5 or above.  Applications are due by 31 March 2013.  For more information about eligibility and application requirements, visit http://www.cognizant.com/makingthefuture .

"Maker Movement" Mobilizes in Mojave

To follow-up to the post here on 1 March 2011, The "Maker Movement" Working with STEM Education , Allison Gatlin reports in today's Antelope Valley Press that five local engineers from entities located at the Mojave Air and Spaceport have formed a collaborative "makerspace" or "hackerspace" for members to work on innovative designs and share common interests.  Their mission is to support the arts and STEM through outreach to surrounding communities.  For more information on the Mojave Makers, visit their wiki at http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Mojave_Makers .

The "Maker Movement" Working with STEM Education

In a February commentary in Education Week, "Encouraging the Hand-Mind Connection in the Classroom," Margaret Honey and Eric Siegel discuss how the "Maker Movement" can provide relevance to STEM education by deeply engaging students in content while cementing 21st Century learning skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative interactions, in students.  "Makers share in the common delight of tinkering, hacking, creating, and reusing materials and technology. They organize themselves into thriving communities to create objects that they are passionate about and to engage others."  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/02/02/19honey.h30.html?tkn=LVOFGJPU+LZWDcGKabdPkKcovfQOCPNviRf9&cmp=clp-edweek

The commentary also references a September 2010 Report to the President entitled "Prepare and Inspire:  K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for America's Future."  (see Helpful STEM Links in this blog)