Finding the Next Einstein

Have you ever had a kid in one of your classes who was so scientifically curious that you knew for sure she’d one day be a scientist or engineer but there wasn’t much you could provide for her other than encouragement? When encouragement isn’t enough, how does $50,000 sound? I thought so. The top prize in this year’s Young Scientist Challenge is a $50,000 savings bond and a trip to New York City. Sponsored by Discovery Education and 3M, the challenge seeks to find and develop the next generation of scientists that this country (and the world) needs. To compete, middle school students need to send in a 1 or 2 minute video that outlines how to solve a specific problem. Anything from solving global warming to cutting the glare you see on a TV screen are all fair game. Don’t worry if you can’t make a professional looking video because the clips will be judged on creativity, persuasiveness, classroom suitability and overall presentation, not on video skills. My advice to future mad scientists, get going because the clips need to be in by May 20, 2009.