June 22 — ARLINGTON, Va. (Business Wire) | The U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) is pleased to announce the 2017-18 national winners of the 16th annual eCYBERMISSION competition. The winning teams were announced today at the National Judging & Educational Event (NJ&EE) awards luncheon in Reston, Virginia.
The web-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program—sponsored by the U.S. Army and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)—is designed to cultivate student interest in STEM by encouraging students in grades six through nine to develop solutions to real-world problems in their local communities.
“The creativity and enthusiasm that students bring to the eCYBERMISSION competition every year is truly inspiring, and that has been particular true this week at NJ&EE,” said Louie R. Lopez, AEOP Cooperative Agreement Manager. “The national winners, who have made it through this rigorous process, represent the best in the country and should take great pride in their success.”
The winning teams were chosen from 20 national finalist teams, which were selected from 4,345 teams that entered the 2018 competition. Since the program’s inception in 2002, eCYBERMISSION has awarded state, regional and national competition winners more than $10 million in U.S. Savings Bonds.
“Each year, the eCYBERMISSION competition reminds us of the inspiring ingenuity that results when we empower students to expand their imaginations and apply science and engineering practices, critical thinking, and creativity to develop solutions to real-world problems,” said Dr. David Evans, NSTA Executive Director. “Congratulations to all of the national winning teams on their impressive innovations and to their advisors whose dedication and support helps them realize the possibility of a bright and successful future.”
Each member of the national finalist teams received a total of $4,000 in U.S. E.E. Savings Bonds (matured value), and each member of the national winning teams received a total of $9,000 U.S. E.E. Savings Bonds (matured value) each. The 2017-18 national winning teams are:
Sixth grade: MADScientists, Naperville, Illinois
Sanskriti Aggarwal, Meera Dullur, Diya Kannan, and Anjali Shah worked with Team Advisor Dr. Srimani Chakravarthi to solve the problem of phosphorus runoff affecting the ecosystem of local ponds and streams with the use of natural alternatives.
Seventh grade: Ecstatic Statics, Madison, Alabama
Pranav Somu, Puja Chopade, and Neha Chopade worked with Team Advisor Beena Chopade to find ways to discard batteries properly using the triboelectric effect to generate usable electricity.
Eighth grade: Under Control, Lewis Center, Ohio
Soham Joshi, Pranav Krishnamoorthy, and Kathir Maarikarthykeyan worked with Team Advisor Santosh Joshi to combat the negative effects of harmful algae blooms, otherwise known as HABs.
Ninth grade: MemoryTygers, Taos, New Mexico
Britney Hsu, Abdul Khweis, and Mikayla Martinez from Taos Tyger Lab worked with Team Advisor Laura Tenorio to explore other cultures that have lower occurrences of neurodegenerative disease to help find natural remedies to combat them.
NJ&EE is a week-long event that provides educational opportunities and team-building exercises for the eCYBERMISSION national finalists and STEM-in-Action recipients. Activities included hands-on STEM workshops led by Army scientists and engineers, a special session hosted by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and a tour of the National Mall, and a live-streamed showcase where students displayed and demonstrated their winning ideas. The highlight of the NJ&EE was the awards luncheon and ceremony, where the national winning team from each grade level was announced.
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 eCYBERMISSION
eCYBERMISSION is a web-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition for students in grades six through nine that promotes self-discovery and enables all students to recognize the real-life applications of STEM. Teams of three or four students are instructed to ask questions (for science) or define problems (for engineering), and then construct explanations (for science) or design solutions (for engineering) based on identified problems in their community. Students compete for State, Regional, and National Awards. The U.S. Army is committed to answering the Nation’s need for increased national STEM literacy and to expanding STEM education opportunities across the country to open doors to new career paths for American students that lead to a brighter tomorrow.
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, preschool through college. NSTA’s membership includes approximately 50,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business representatives, and others involved in science education.