Arlington, Va.,—April 23, 2012—The young inventors and scientists of tomorrow, now in kindergarten through 12th grade, look forward to a time when kids will be smarter—because the building where they learn will literally be a “S.M.A.R.T. School!” That is just one of the winning student projects announced today by the 20th anniversary Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Competition. The program’s eight national winners for 2012, including four first place and four second place student teams, proposed new inventions and technologies that could make the future more environmentally-conscious, healthier and safer—like a new treatment for hearing loss using microscopic nano-technology, a new type of eco-friendly water collection system—even shoulder pads with a built-in cooling system to help keep football players from overheating on the gridiron!
The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Program, sponsored by Toshiba and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), ExploraVision is the world’s largest K–12 science and technology competition, challenging students to work in teams and design innovative technologies that could exist in 20 years. The program reached a major milestone this year, celebrating its 20th anniversary of encouraging students to participate in science, look at problems critically and imagine solutions. Since its inception, more than 300,000 students have participated. This year, the program received 4,809 team projects representing the participation of 14,606 students from across the U.S. and Canada. With its multi-level, imaginative and fun approach to learning, ExploraVision encourages education in vital STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.
Water Water Everywhere, and Not a Drop to Drink!
Students in ExploraVision are encouraged to look at the world around them, identify pressing issues and problems, and come up with ideas for technologies that could potentially solve them. Often, projects reflect concern for the environment, including several top winners this year, who tackled the growing problem of the global shortage of drinkable water. A team of 7–9th grade students from The Alternative School for Math and Science in Corning, NY, for instance, won Second Place for their proposal Radiclear, a System to Filter High Levels of Radium from Water. The technology would help ensure healthy drinking water around the world by combining magnesium oxide with carbon nanotubes to separate dangerous radium from water. A team of 10–12th grade students from North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC, tackled the problem of scarce drinking water around the world, winning first place for their idea, Amphipathic Films for Water Collection, a technology that would extract water vapor from the air and condense it for clean drinking water.
A Healthier World Thanks to Innovative New Medical Technologies
Important health issues are often top-of-mind among ExploraVision entrants. A team of 4–6th grade students from Fairmont Private School in Anaheim, CA, won first place for an idea that could benefit people suffering from hearing loss caused by nerve damage, appropriately called Hearing the World’s Silent Side. The treatment would attach microscopic nanofibers to the auditory nerve, allowing sound to reach the brain by passing over the nerve rather than through the damaged portion. A team of 10–12th grade students from Westwood High School in Austin, TX won second place for imagining a new treatment for pancreatic cancer called LANAPT (Ligand Attached Nanoshells Assisting Photothermal Therapy) that would use gold nanoshells and “biomolecules” to recognize and destroy only cancerous cells, leaving healthy ones alone. A team of 7–9th grade students from David Thompson Secondary School in Vancouver, BC, envisioned Thermoresponsive Hydrogel Injection, a minimally invasive operation used to treat trigeminal neuralgia. The technique, combining microvascular decompression and percutaneous procedures, would provide a better alternative to current treatment options, helping patients who don’t want to take the risk of undergoing the surgeries that exist today.
Better Education? Let’s Start by Making Schools Better!
This year, three top winning teams looked at the world of education around them and came up with ideas for enhancing the school experience. A team of 4–6th grade students from the Countryside Montessori Charter in Land O’ Lakes, FL, won second place for The S.M.A.R.T. School, an entire building constructed using piezoelectric materials that would allow it to harness the human energy students and teachers expend during the day to power the lights, create heat and even sharpen pencils! A team of K–3rd grade students from the LD Batchelder School in North Reading, MA, took first place for suggesting that their idea—the SMARTdesk—could someday replace conventional school desks. The new desk would feature wireless computer technologies and a touchscreen—it will even save teachers time by grading papers and exchanging information with students quickly. Lastly, a team of K–3rd grade students from Flippen Elementary School in McDonough, GA, looked “outside the school”—on the athletic fields and won second place for COOL PADS: Shoulder Pads that Keep Players from Overheating. A welcome refresher for football players, COOL PADS provides a cooling system with built-in temperature sensors to keep players from getting overheated on the gridiron.
Noted Mr. Yoshihide Fujii, Chairman and CEO of Toshiba America, Inc.: “Toshiba has always valued innovation, technology and education above all else, and we are very proud that ExploraVision has been such a major part of our Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in North America for the past 20 years. By immersing students in important STEM education and helping to spark appreciation for science at a young age, we believe we are helping motivate young people to excel, and most importantly, help them understand the value of scientific research and critical thinking. We are extremely gratified that after two decades, ExploraVision has been embraced by so many teachers and has become such a unique and valuable educational tool. This year is a momentous one for ExploraVision, as we celebrate 20 years of helping inspire students in STEM fields.”
“As we celebrate the 20th year of ExploraVision, we are reminded of all the amazing projects that students have created over the years. It’s truly inspiring to see students, immersed in real-world science, developing unique and innovative technologies while learning the necessary life skills of team work and cooperation,” said NSTA President Dr. Patricia Simmons. “We are extremely proud of all the winners, current and from years past, and congratulate all the teachers and mentors for their dedication, enthusiasm, and encouragement of their students to explore science. We are also deeply grateful for the longstanding partnership with Toshiba. Toshiba’s continued support and unwavering commitment to K–12 science education has yielded a program that has empowered hundreds of teachers and positively impacted the lives of thousands of students nationwide.”
ExploraVision Prize Rewards
Students on the four first-place ExploraVision national winner teams will each receive a $5,000 US Series EE Savings Bond (valued $10,000 at maturity). Students on second-place teams will each receive a $2,500 Savings Bond (valued $5,000 at maturity). (Canadian winners receive Canada Bonds purchased for the equivalent issue price in Canadian dollars.) The eight teams will also receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor, and coach to Washington, D.C. for a gala awards weekend in June 2012. Activities will include a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress, a Science Showcase during which the students will display and demonstrate their winning ideas, an appearance at the National Press Club, and sightseeing around the nation’s capital. Each of the regional winning teams receives a Toshiba laptop for the school and each member of the regional winning teams will receive a Toshiba HD Camcorder.
First-Ever 20th Anniversary Award Winners
This year, to celebrate the program’s 20th anniversary, the teacher who submitted the most eligible student projects in each grade category received the ExploraVision “20th Anniversary Award,” a Toshiba ThriveTM tablet. The winning teachers are: Laura Haddad (K–3rd grade category) from The Dalton School in New York City, Debbie O’Brien (4–6th grade category), from Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Brian Knoop (7–9th grade category) from St. Henry Catholic School in Nashville, TN, and Barsoum Kasparian (10–12th grade category) from Chaminade College Prep in West Hills, CA. In addition to the individual teacher awards, Chaminade College Prep has also received a Toshiba Classroom package consisting of a TV/DVD combo LED TV, a “kid-friendly” PC, 10 LED light bulbs, a ThriveTM Tablet and an award for being the school with the most overall submissions in 2012.
For more information or an application for 2013, visit www.exploravision.org or e-mail exploravision@nsta.org. Follow ExploraVision on Twitter at @ToshibaInnovate or join Toshiba Innovation’s Facebook Page at www.Facebook.com/ToshibaInnovation to hear more about ExploraVision.
About Toshiba
The Tokyo-based Toshiba Corporation is a leading innovator and diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products, spanning information and communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and materials, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, and household appliances. Toshiba employs over 14,000 people in North America and Toshiba America, Inc., is the holding company for five Toshiba operating companies in the United States.
Toshiba’s U.S.-based companies and some of their chief products are as follows: Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (Semiconductors, Flash Memory-Based Storage Solutions, LCD, custom chips, and Hard Disk Drives); Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (Laptop Computers, Telephony Products, Flat Panel LCD TVs, and portable products); Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. (Copiers, Facsimiles, Printers); Toshiba International Corporation (Motors, Motor Controls, Power Electronics, Power Generation Equipment, Automation); Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance, X-ray and Ultrasound); Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation (Advanced Boiling Water Nuclear Reactors); Toshiba America Foundation (Supports science and mathematics education across the United States) and Toshiba of Canada, Ltd. (Made up of four operating divisions).
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership includes approximately 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.
Contacts
Katherine Higuera-McCoy
DBA Public Relations
(212) 388-1400
khmccoy@dba-pr.com
Kate Falk
National Science Teachers Association
(703) 312-9211
kfalk@nsta.org