education spotlight
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Boeing, a world leader in aerospace innovation, announces support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in Brevard Public Schools through a generous $250,000 grant to the Brevard School Foundation. did.
The funding will sponsor the Destination Mars Design Challenge, a year-long program aimed at developing real-world problem-solving skills, simulation-based inquiry, and collaboration among elementary school students.
This challenge provides an engaging hands-on learning experience involving coding, circuits, robotics, Minecraft, and engineering design.
Now in its sixth year, the Destination Mars Design Challenge begins on March 6, 2024 and ends on March 21, 2024.
The competition will feature 42 student teams representing 36 schools in the district. Through this challenge, student teams will work on five different mission areas and present innovative ideas and solutions to sustain life and activity on Mars.
Student teams will choose from the following challenges to compete.
■ Mission Research Station Biodome Pod – The team will design a research station to address the challenges of life on Mars.
■ Mission Solar Rover – The team designs a functional solar rover that is ready to go.
■ Mission Robot Rover Spike Prime – The team uses block programming to program the rover to complete its mission.
■ Mission Minecraft Education Research Station – The team uses Minecraft Education to design and build a Mars research base that allows its members to maintain homeostasis.
■ Mission Journalists – Students document the progress of each mission and edit videos showing the team's journey.
Throughout the school year, student teams have honed their problem-solving skills and developed potential solutions to the challenges posed by Mars exploration both during regular school hours and in an after-school STEM club.
During the competition, a distinguished panel of judges comprised of school district officials, school board members, and Boeing employees will evaluate the teams' projects and performance.
Brevard Public Schools is grateful to The Boeing Company and the Brevard School Foundation for their unwavering commitment to promoting STEM education in the classroom.
Their support ensures that students have access to innovative learning opportunities that foster critical thinking, collaboration and innovation.
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