ARLINGTON, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Return to 31St Year of inspiring innovations in the next generation of scientists, the 31St The annual ExploraVision competition is now open for entries. Sponsored by Toshiba and administered by the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), the program challenges students to use problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork to envision solutions to real-world problems. Entrants have a chance to win a variety of prizes including US Series EE Savings Bonds worth $10,000 (at maturity). Registration is open until January 31, 2023 on ExploraVision.org.
The competition challenges teams of two to four students to identify a problem facing our world, research scientific principles and current technologies, and design innovative solutions that could exist for the next 10 years or more. The semi-finalists then create websites and prototypes to bring these concepts to life. The competition will be held in Washington, DC, where the winners will present their ideas to executives from Toshiba, NSTA and other VIPs. Last year’s winning ideas ranged from shoes developed for diabetic foot ulcers to an autonomous ROV that filters microplastics from the sea.
“We are pleased to announce our sponsorship of the ExploraVision program as of December 31, 2019St consecutive year,” said Ryuji Maruyama, Chairman and CEO of Toshiba America, Inc. “We believe nurturing a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from an early age is key to nurturing the next generation of Innovators is realizing a better future for our world. We look forward to seeing what the next generation of STEM professionals invent this year and to our continued partnership with NSTA around this initiative.”
Since the program began in 1992, ExploraVision has helped nearly 450,000 students across the United States and Canada develop a lifelong passion for STEM. The competition provides a turnkey solution for teachers to engage, educate, and engage students virtually and in person in the science and engineering practices that are emerging in the Next generation scientific standards – How to ask questions and define problems, plan and conduct investigations, and analyze and interpret data.
“For the past 31 years, we have partnered with Toshiba to help nurture the innovators, scientists and engineers of tomorrow by challenging students to stretch their imaginations to create game-changing solutions to real-life challenges,” said Elizabeth Mulkerrin, Ed. D., President, NSTA. “Through ExploraVision, students are encouraged to use their creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and critical thinking skills to create extraordinary ideas that can help change the world. We are excited to see what the students come up with this year!”
Competition opportunities and prizes for students
Teams of students compete in groups based on their grade levels: elementary (K-3), high school (4-6), junior high (7-9), and high school (10-12). There are two finalist stages of the competition, regional and national. In the regional phase, the 24 winning teams from six regions across the United States and Canada will receive a plaque for their school, and each team member will receive a Chromebook and additional prizes.
In the National Stage, members of the national winning teams who place first will each receive a US Series EE Savings Bond valued at $10,000 (at maturity). Members of the second-place national winning teams will each receive a US Series EE Savings Bond of US$5,000 (at maturity). Canadian winners will receive Canadian bonds purchased in Canadian dollars at the applicable issue price. Health and safety considerations permitting, all national first and second place finishers will receive a trip for themselves, their parents/guardians, and teachers or mentors to Washington, DC for an awards weekend in June 2023. Activities include a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and a Science Showcase where students will show and demonstrate their winning ideas while being officially recognized for their creativity and achievements.
Teachers looking to add project-based learning to the classroom can visit https://www.exploravision.org/lesson-plans-for-teachers for free downloadable STEM lesson plans.
To register for the 2022/2023 competition, visit www.exploravision.org. Follow ExploraVision on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ToshibaAmerica and Facebook www.Facebook.com/ToshibaAmerica for program updates.
About Toshiba
Toshiba Corporation leads a global group of companies that combines knowledge and skills from over 140 years of experience in a wide range of companies – from energy and social infrastructure to electronic devices – with world-class skills in information processing, digital and AI technologies. These distinct strengths support Toshiba’s continued development into an infrastructure services company that drives the utilization and digitization of data and into one of the world’s leading cyber-physical systems technology companies. Guided by the Toshiba Group’s fundamental commitment, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future”, Toshiba contributes to the positive development of society with services and solutions that lead to a better world. The company and its 120,000 employees worldwide had annual sales of 3.3 trillion yen (US$27.4 billion) in fiscal 2021.
Around Toshiba America, Inc.
Founded in 1965, Toshiba America, Inc. (TAI) is a subsidiary from Tokyo–based Toshiba group and the keep Group of three Toshiba companies offering a wide range of products and solutions for the commercial, energy and industrial sectors. The three companies, known together with TAI as the Toshiba America Group, are Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (semiconductor and data storage solutions), Toshiba America Energy Systems, Corp. (power generation solutions) and Toshiba International Corporation (industrial, power electronics, transmission and distribution solutions).
About NSTA
That National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a vibrant community of 40,000 science educators and professionals committed to promoting best practice in science education and its impact on student learning. NSTA provides quality scholarly resources and continuous learning to enable science educators to grow professionally and excel in their careers. For both new and experienced teachers, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with peers nationally, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field.