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Raytheon’s MathMovesU Middle School Grant and Scholarship Program
Calling all middle school mathematicians!
Raytheon Company, a worldwide innovation leader in defense, security and civil markets, has officially opened its 2013-14 MathMovesU Middle School Grant and Scholarship Program. All sixth, seventh and eighth grade students nationwide are invited and encouraged to participate in this contest for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship to be used for STEM camp programs or college education. In addition to the 150 student winners, the students’ schools will receive matching grants for math-related programs.
Like many other STEM advocates, Raytheon’s MathMovesU is an initiative to increase middle and elementary school students’ interest in math and science through interactive and fun STEM activities. Vice president of Raytheon, Pamela Erickson, says, “Math shapes the world around us. By encouraging students to explore how math works in their daily lives, we hope to broaden their interest in math and related subjects.”
Win a Math Scholarship!
Directly related to Erickson’s mission statement is the scholarship contest prompt: “Math is in the world all around us. Morning noon and night- how does math move you or the world around you?” In a PowerPoint presentation, students must demonstrate their enthusiasm for math and elaborately illustrate how math moves them and the world around them. Although a student must use creativity in this assignment, mathematical equations or representations must also be used, and are very important in the selection criteria (along with originality and time commitment). These young geniuses will have to take a very abstract idea and explain it with scientific, precise data.
MathMovesU is one of the many recent pushes towards STEM education. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates over 8 million STEM jobs by 2018. Furthermore, President Obama launched the Educate to Innovate initiate with an emphasis on STEM, and declared, “One of the things that I’ve been focused on as a president is how we create an all-hands-on-deck approach to science, technology, engineering and math” (whitehouse.gov).
Are you convinced yet? If so, you have until February 7th, 2014 to apply to the grant and scholarship program. If $1,000, the future job market, and the President’s advice isn’t enough, check out our Guide to STEM Programs for even more reasons to engage in STEM.
Click here if you want to apply to this great opportunity. Good luck!
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