Vernier Software & Technology is accepting applications for its 2018 Vernier Engineering Contest, which recognizes science, engineering, and STEM teachers for their creative uses of Vernier sensors to teach students engineering concepts and practices. Two winning teachers – one middle school teacher and one high school teacher – will each receive prizes valued at $5,500.
“We are committed to helping educators develop the next generation of engineers and scientists,” said John Wheeler, CEO of Vernier Software & Technology. “Our annual Engineering Contest is part of this commitment and a great way for educators to share their engineering best practices for the chance to win cash, technology, and valuable professional development opportunities.”
Applications for the Vernier Engineering Contest are due by February 15, 2018, and winners will be announced in March on the Vernier website and Facebook page. To enter, educators must complete an online application, as well as produce a video showcasing the engineering project in action, the Vernier sensors being used, and the engineering concepts being addressed. The sensors may be used in conjunction with any Vernier software or with NI LabVIEW™ software, Arduino, Scratch, LEGO®, VEX®, or any other system.
Applications will be judged by a panel of Vernier experts based on innovation, engineering objectives, and the ease by which other teachers can replicate the project. Applicants will specifically need to explain how the project addresses the engineering practices called for in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Each winner will receive $1,000 in cash, $3,000 in Vernier technology, and $1,500 toward expenses to attend the 2018 National Science Teachers’ Association (NSTA) STEM conference or the 2018 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conference.
The winning projects from the 2017 Vernier Engineering Contest involved students reducing the intensity of a sound travelling through a box and creating a safety device for cars that warns operators when the interior is becoming too hot for infants.
For complete information on the 2018 Vernier Engineering Contest and to submit an application, visit www.vernier.com/grants/engineering/.
