U.S. Army’s eCYBERMISSION Kicks Off 16th Year of Competition
Registration Now Open for 2017-2018 STEM Competition; Students
Imagine Innovative Solutions to Real-World Challenges that Could Build a
Better Future
ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#NSTA–The U.S.
Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) today announced the kickoff
of the 16th annual eCYBERMISSION
program, a web-based competition designed to cultivate student interest
in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by encouraging
students in grades six through nine to develop solutions to real-world
challenges in their local communities. Students can win on a state,
regional, and national level, with national winning teams receiving up
to $9,000 in U.S. EE Savings Bonds, valued at maturity. Registration is
open until December 13, 2017 at www.ecybermission.com.
“The U.S. Army’s long history of promoting innovation and supporting
student learning in science, technology, engineering, and math comes
from our belief that STEM literacy is essential for all students and is
the key to tomorrow’s skilled workforce, strong economy, national
security, and general well-being,” said Louie R. Lopez, AEOP Cooperative
Agreement Manager. “Utilizing the Army’s unique resources—world-class
scientists, engineers, and research facilities—AEOP programs, such as
eCYBERMISSION, offer students exciting, one-of-a-kind experiences.
Through the competition, students not only explore issues that affect
their local communities, but are given a platform to create solutions to
tackle these issues using STEM as the building blocks and foundation.”
“The key to fostering and sustaining the next generation’s interest in
science, technology, engineering and math is to engage them in discovery
and innovation,” said Dr. David Evans, NSTA Executive Director. “We
believe the skills students learn and build while participating in this
competition will ignite a real passion for STEM and hopefully propel
them to pursue careers in the STEM fields.”
Through the program, which is administered by the National
Science Teachers Association, teams of three to four students plus
an adult team advisor are asked to identify an issue in their community
related to one of seven mission challenges, including alternative
sources of energy; the environment; food, health and fitness; force and
motion; national security and safety; robotics; and technology.
After selecting a mission challenge, teams apply the scientific
practices or engineering design process to construct explanations or
design solutions. Each team then submits a mission folder, the official
write-up of their project, via the eCYBERMISSION website.
A panel of virtual judges evaluates and scores the mission folders on
the basis of several criteria to identify state winning teams. The top
three scoring state winners at each grade level in each region then move
on to the regional competition, where they compete with other teams in
their grade across the region for an all-expenses paid trip to the
National Judging and Educational Event, taking place June 2018.
Registration
for the 2017-2018 competition will remain open through December 13,
2017. Final mission folder submissions are due February 28, 2018. To
participate, students must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent
residents, and must be officially enrolled in either sixth, seventh,
eighth, or ninth grade in a public, private or home school, or a
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school abroad. Students
registered by November 8, 2017 will receive a free STEM kit.
The response to eCYBERMISSION last year was unprecedented, with
thousands of teams registered from all 50 U.S. states, territories, and
DoDEA sites. The continued success of eCYBERMISSION and its registered
students depends on dedicated volunteers to support the program.
eCYBERMISSION is once again seeking dynamic individuals who can
contribute his or her knowledge, skills and enthusiasm to the program.
Volunteer roles include:
-
Ambassadors
serve as the face of eCYBERMISSION by promoting the competition and
recruiting other volunteers in the community. Register here
to be an ambassador. -
CyberGuides
provide online assistance to eCYBERMISSION teams by answering
questions and give guidance through the use of discussion forums,
instant messaging, and live chat sessions. CyberGuides’
registration is open through February 28. -
Virtual
Judges – Individuals with an interest or background in STEM or
education who independently evaluate team mission folders online. Virtual
judge registration is open through February 28.
For more information about the eCYBERMISSION competition, visit www.ecybermission.com
or contact Mission Control at 1-866-GO-CYBER (462-9297) or via email at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com.
About the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)
The United States Army has long recognized that a scientifically and
technologically literate citizenry is our nation’s best hope for a
secure, rewarding, and successful future. For over 50 years, the Army
has supported a wide range of educational opportunities in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for our youth, college
and graduate students, as well as our valued teachers. Our nation’s
economy has greatly benefited from the technological achievements of the
last century and is destined for greater achievements throughout the
21st century. For more information about AEOP, please visit www.usaeop.com.
About the NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National
Science Teachers Association is the largest professional
organization in the world promoting excellence in science teaching and
learning, preschool through college. NSTA’s membership includes
approximately 55,000 science teachers, science supervisors,
administrators, scientists, business representatives, and others
involved in science education.
Contacts
For eCYBERMISSION
Erin Lester, 703-312-9384
elester@ecybermission.com
