Arlington, Va.—May 14, 2020—The U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) announced that 20 student teams from across the United States have been selected as National Finalists in the 18th Annual eCYBERMISSION Competition. The web-based science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program—sponsored by the U.S. Army and administered by the National Science Teaching 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 National Finalist teams will advance to eCYBERMISSION’s National Judging & Educational Event (NJ&EE), taking place virtually on June 17–19.

The National Finalists were selected from a competitive group of 59 Regional Finalists. A panel of judges, consisting of U.S. Army scientists and engineers, evaluated teams based on several criteria including innovative ideas, benefit to the community, and overall development of the project.  

"The U.S Army Education Outreach Program is proud to offer national STEM opportunities like eCYBERMISSION,” said Christina Weber, AEOP Cooperative Agreement Manager. “It's always exciting to see so many talented students participate in our competitions, summer enrichment activities, and apprenticeship programs, and to watch them develop as they graduate from one program to the next. They're becoming the next generation of thought leaders in science and technology, and it's amazing to be a part of that. I'm honored to congratulate the Regional Winners in this year's eCYBERMISSION competition, and I look forward to virtually seeing each of them at the National Judging and Educational Event. I truly hope all of our eCYBERMISSION students will continue the important work they've started in their communities, and I challenge all of our 9th grade students to apply their talents next year in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium!"

“We are humbled by the passion and creativity of the students and Team Advisors to create lasting change in their communities,” said Dennis Schatz, NSTA President. “We congratulate the eCYBERMISSION National Finalists on their accomplishments so far and look forward to seeing how their STEM projects unfold in the coming weeks.”

The National Finalists focused their projects on one of seven mission challenges affecting their community, including alternative sources of energy; the environment; food, health and fitness; force and motion; national security and safety; robotics and technology. As National Finalists, each team member will receive $2,000 in U.S. Series EE Savings Bonds.

In addition to the National Awards, ten teams will each receive AEOP’s STEM-In-Action grant. These grants offer teams the opportunity to develop a concrete plan to further develop their project into a mature and scalable solution and effectively implement these solutions into their local communities. Each winning team will be awarded up to a $5,000 grant. The grants are independent of the selection of the National Winners.

2020 National Finalist Teams

North Central Region

• 6th – S Cubed (Super Superior Scientists), Lake Linden, MI
• 7th – The Four Musketeers, Kings Mills, OH
• 8th – Plast-Assasins, Naperville, IL
• 9th – Psychologigals, Lisle, IL

North East Region

• 6th – Team JANS, Ashburn, VA
• 7th – The Marvelous Mosquito Maurauders, Ashburn, VA
• 8th – Aquatech, Chantilly, VA
• 9th – Golden Spice, Fairfax, VA

South East Region

• 6th – WSMS Gladiators 1, Memphis, TN
• 7th – Thermo Kitchen Hawks, Charlotte, NC
• 8th – WES Tech, Evans, GA
• 9th – JAAM, Madison, AL

South Central Region

• 6th – Carbon Keepers, Lubbock, TX
• 7th – Code Red, Lubbock, TX
• 8th – Carbon Sync, Taos, NM
• 9th – The Braynz Guardians, Taos, NM

West Region

• 6th – We Matter, Las Vegas, NV
• 7th – Lost and Found, Portland, OR
• 8th – Fueling Change, Stansbury Park, UT
• 9th – Coloopate, Phoenix, AZ

2020 STEM-in-Action Grant Recipients

• 6th North Central – No Vape Possible, Aurora, IL
• 6th Northeast – Team JANS, Ashburn, VA
• 7th North Central – CO2, West Fargo, ND
• 7th Northeast – The Marvelous Mosquito Marauders, Ashburn, VA
• 7th West – Team Lost and Found, Portland, OR
• 8th Northeast – Aquatech, Chantilly, VA
• 8th Southeast – ChargerPlastics, Charlotte, NC
• 9th North Central – Team Psychologigals, Lisle, IL
• 9th Southeast – Fight the Fomites, Miami Beach, FL
• 9th West – Coloopate, Phoenix, AZ

NJ&EE will be a virtual event this year, providing educational opportunities and team-building exercises for the eCYBERMISSION National Finalists and STEM-in-Action recipients. Activities include a virtual Careers Workshop featuring Army scientists and engineers, an interactive AEOP Alumni Panel Presentation and judging by Army scientists and engineers; along with representation from NSTA; and a live-streamed showcase where students will display and demonstrate their winning ideas with the opportunity to win prizes through votes for the People’s Choice Award. The highlight of NJ&EE will be the Awards Ceremony, where the national winning team from each grade will be announced.

About the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program

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 Teaching 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.

Contact

Colleen Minan
703-312-9388
cminan@nsta.org

# # #