Students Honored in Washington, D.C. as Winners in World’s Largest K-12 Science Competition

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Students from across the United States will travel this week to Washington, D.C., where they will be recognized as national winners of the 26th annual ExploraVision program, the world’s largest K-12 science competition. ExploraVision is sponsored by Toshiba and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The ExploraVision competition challenges students to use scientific research to invent technologies that will solve the problems of the future.

On Thurs., June 7, the eight winning teams will exhibit their winning projects at a STEM Education Science Fair and Senate Panel discussion in Capitol Hill. There, they will meet with members of Congress and their staff. On Fri., June 8, the student teams will formally present their projects during the ExploraVision Science Showcase and Awards Luncheon at the National Press Club. Also in attendance will be special guests from Toshiba and NSTA, who will help honor the teams’ creativity and achievements.

Fostering young minds’ interest in STEM and contributing to society through technology and innovation are at Toshiba’s core, and this commitment drove the company to partner with NSTA to create the ExploraVision competition in 1992. For 26 years, ExploraVision has helped cultivate the next generation of scientists, technology experts, engineers and mathematicians.

STEM Education Science Fair and Panel

The STEM Education Science Fair will take place on Thurs., June 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building. Students will showcase their projects and corresponding prototypes to members of Congress and their staff.

The Senate STEM Panel will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Capitol Visitors Center and will feature ExploraVision student winners, teachers and mentors, all of whom will share their experiences in the competition, discuss the importance of STEM education and answer questions from members of the audience.

Science Showcase and Awards Luncheon

During the Science Showcase and Awards Luncheon on Fri., June 8, the eight winning student teams will showcase their prototypes and self-designed project websites to visually demonstrate their proposed inventive solutions.

The students will present to members of the press, their peers, parents, educators, NSTA board and council members and leaders in education policy, including Bill Nye the Science Guy; Dr. Christine Anne Royce, president of NSTA; Dr. David L. Evans, executive director of NSTA; Noriaki Hashimoto, chairman and CEO, Toshiba America, Inc; Leland Melvin, former NASA astronaut and NFL football player; and Roshni Bhimani, a winner of the competition from 1993.

More Than Just a Science Competition

Nearly 5,000 team projects entered the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition this year, comprised of close to 15,000 students from across the United States. This year’s winning projects ranged from a wearable device that delivers personalized, always-on therapy to individuals with autism spectrum disorders to a device that helps farmers remotely monitor their crops.

The eight national winning teams are comprised of a first-place winner and second-place winner from four groups based on grade level. Members of first-place nationally winning teams each receive a $10,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity). Members of second-place nationally winning teams will each receive a $5,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond (at maturity).

For more information or to access an application for the 2018/2019 program, visit www.exploravision.org or e-mail exploravision@nsta.org. Follow ExploraVision on Twitter at @ToshibaInnovate or join the ExploraVision Facebook Fan Page at www.Facebook.com/ToshibaInnovation.

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision 2018 National Winners

2018 First-Place Winners

Grade K-3: Integrated Smart Wireless Agriculture Remote Management
L. D. Batchelder School, North Reading, Mass.
Website: https://nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/farmfixers

Grade 4-6: The CFAST—Cystic Fibrosis Absorbant Sponge Technology
Plainview Old Bethpage Middle School, Plainview, N.Y.
Website: https://pengel8.wixsite.com/cfast-copy

Grade 7-9: Emotion Recognition: The Personalized Future of Autism Therapy
Saint Anthony’s High School, South Huntington, N.Y.
Website: http://emrecdevice.com

Grade 10-12: Polychiral Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Solar Cells
Ward Melville High School, East Setauket, N.Y.
Website: https://nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/website-8

2018 Second-Place Winners

Grade K-3: The Smart Toilet
St. Thomas the Apostle, Miami, Fla.
Website: https://nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/smarttoilet

Grade 4-6: Perpetual Energy Motor
St. Brother Andre, Ottawa, Ontario
Website: https://nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/energyrecoverymotor

Grade 7-9: Word Watch
The Gagie School, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Website: https://nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/wordwatch

Grade 10-12: Targeted Two-Drug Combo Therapy for Lupus
Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences, Granada Hills, Calif.
Website: https://nstawebdirector.wixsite.com/twodrugcombotherapy

About Toshiba

In over 140 years, Tokyo-based Toshiba Corporation has built a global network of almost 400 companies that channels reliable technologies into “Social Infrastructure,” “Energy,” “Electronic Devices,” and “Digital Solutions”—the basic infrastructure that sustains modern life and society. Guided by The Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future,” Toshiba promotes value creation that helps to realize a world where generations to come can live better lives. In fiscal year 2017, the Group and its 141,000 employees worldwide secured annual sales surpassing 3.9 trillion yen (US$ 37.2 billion). Find out more about Toshiba at www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/about/index.html

About Toshiba America, Inc.

Founded in 1965, Toshiba America, Inc. (TAI) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Toshiba Corporation and the holding company of seven Toshiba operating companies that offer a broad range of products and solutions for the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. The seven companies, which along with TAI are known collectively as Toshiba America Group, are Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (Semiconductor solutions), Toshiba America Energy Systems, Corp. (Power generation solutions), Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (Digital products and SmartGlass), Toshiba America LNG Corporation (Liquefied Natural Gas), Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Inc. (Nuclear power solutions), Toshiba International Corporation (Industrial, power electronics & transmission & distribution solutions), and Toshiba America Research, Inc. (R&D).

About NSTA

The Arlington, Va.-based National Science Teachers Association is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence in science teaching and learning, preschool through college. NSTA’s membership includes approximately 55,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business representatives and others involved in science education.

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