Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, announced today it will take U.S. students on a virtual field trip to the White House Science Fair as part of the Of the People: Live from the White House webinar series. Open to classrooms nationwide, the webinar will inspire students nationwide to learn about STEM, highlight the valuable role of mentors in STEM education, and celebrate the remarkable achievements of America’s next generation of scientists, engineers, inventors and innovators.
On May 27, the live virtual event will transport students across the country to the fourth annual White House Science Fair, a celebration of the student winners of a broad range of STEM competitions from across the country with a specific focus on girls and women who are excelling in STEM and inspiring the next generation with their work. Discovery Channel and Science Channel star Kari Byron will kick off the webinar and treat participating classrooms to an exclusive clip from her show Head Rush, which was created to inspire and excite viewers about the wonders of science and show how science is a vital part of their everyday lives.
Following the demonstration, Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady and Executive Director for the Council on Women and Girls, and Byron will lead a discussion between David Etzwiler, chief executive officer of the Siemens Foundation and student Frederick Lang, a national finalist in the 2013 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Working alongside research scientist Dr. Anwar Hossain, Lang earned the top honors for his project which identified a potential new treatment for the most malignant form of adult brain cancer. During this portion of the webinar, David Etzwiler and the high school senior will discuss the critical role that mentors can play in students’ academic success, particularly in STEM fields.
Finally, students will the opportunity to listen in on a panel discussion about the importance of STEM education featuring Byron, Lang, Etzwiler, Tina Tchen, and Eric Schwarz, Executive Chairman of US2020, a multi-year mentoring effort that aims to match 1 million STEM mentors with students at youth-serving nonprofits by the year 2020. During the live broadcast, young people across the country will have the opportunity to submit questions for the panelists on Twitter using the hashtag, #OfthePeople.
“Discovery Education’s Of the People webinar series continues to provide my district’s students with innovative and relevant learning experiences,” said Howard Martin, Instructional Technology Facilitator, Austin Independent School District. “I’m thrilled to be able to give students unique access to the White House Science Fair to engage them on STEM subjects and inspire them to pursue careers in these fields.”
Discovery Education and the White House’s Virtual Field Trip series, “Of the People,” has already transported students into a Chinese classroom alongside the First Lady, provided students a special look at the art and history of the White House with curator William Allman, and an inside look at a 21st century digital classroom with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Each Virtual Field Trip session is supported with digital video and other learning resources to encourage and enhance student engagement.
“We are excited to offer this innovative learning experience to inspire students across the country to explore and excel in STEM education,” said Bill Goodwyn, CEO, Discovery Education. “This Virtual Field Trip supports Discovery Education’s commitment to providing today’s students with memorable digital experiences that encourage innovation, support achievement and promote STEM engagement in classrooms around the world.”
Open to classrooms nationwide, the webinar will inspire students nationwide to learn about STEM, highlight the valuable role of mentors in STEM education, and celebrate the remarkable achievements of America’s next generation of scientists, engineers, inventors and innovators.
To register for this event or submit questions for the panelists, visit: http://www.discoveryeducation.com//Live/of-the-people-white-house-science-fair-featuring-mythbuster-kari-byron.cfm.
For more information on this webinar series and other services and initiatives from Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com.
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