The Global Challenge Award is an online science and engineering design program for pre-college school students (e.g. middle school through high school) from all over the world. It is an initiative that started with a partnership with the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

in collaboration with the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

, currently funded by the MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning program as well as other foundations and corporations, wherein students have the opportunity to form teams with international counterparts and work towards a solution to mitigate

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

and help envision the future of

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

. The program is an online educational environment that uses

game based learning Educational games are games explicitly designed with educational purposes, or which have incidental or secondary educational value. All types of games may be used in an educational environment, however educational games are games that are design ...

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of Conceptual model, models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or proc ...

and Web-based science resources in a global competition. It relies on the

personal initiative Personal initiative (PI) is self-starting and proactive behavior that overcomes barriers to achieve a goal. The concept was developed by Michael Frese and coworkers in the 1990s . The three facets of PI – self-starting, future oriented, and o ...

and creativity of students working in diverse teams. The access to the project via the Web makes it possible for students, parents,

homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...

families, teachers and interested global community members to get involved to help young people with their creative ideas for innovation in new forms of energy, conservation and increased productivity.

History

Founded in 2005 by Craig Deluca and David Rocchio of the Arno Group and Biddle Duke, the publisher of the Stowe Reporter newspaper company in Stowe, Vt., working in close partnership with Domenico Grasso of

The University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United S ...

(see) College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, the program gives international student teams the opportunity to experience the excitement of scientific understanding and engineering design while working on significant human and societal issues – bringing science to life in innovative new applications. The program mission is to "give students the tools and confidence to solve global problems together." The overarching model for the learning experiences offered worldwide to any student was influenced by The George Lucas Foundation's Big ideas For Better Schools, the Partnership for 21st Century Schools and

. The Global Challenge was funded in part by a

award from the

Innovative Technology Experiences for Students Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program was established in 2003 to address the looming shortage of technology workers in the United States. ITEST engages students and ...

(ITEST) program, validating the project's design for engaging youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning. Since its founding in 2005, The Global Challenge has reached over 100,000 people worldwide and engaged over 4,000 students from 60 countries in forming teams to solve the challenge. About $200,000 in scholarships, travel, summer study have been provided to over 200 students from 10 countries.

International connections

The Global Challenge Award is responsible for identification of high school students who represent the United States in the

International Earth Science Olympiad The International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), one of the thirteen International Science Olympiads, is an annual competition for secondary school students that tests their abilities in disciplines such as geology, meteorology, environmental scie ...

or IESO. Students and teachers travel to South Korea in 2007 and the Philippines in 2008. Plans are now underway to form a US-IESO selection process with the support of the American Geological Institute. In addition, the design of the program builds international student teams. Students from over 79 countries participate each year. Top countries by participation with over 100 students each year have been the United States, India, China, and South Korea.

Program elements

There are several project areas in the Challenge. Some are designed specifically for teams, others students can work on alone. Students can mix and match projects based on their interest level and time. They can form a team to compete in one competition and, at the same time, work on individual points. * ''Global Business Plan'' Students build an international team, envision a global solution, create a detailed

business plan A business plan is a formal written document containing the goals of a business, the methods for attaining those goals, and the time-frame for the achievement of the goals. It also describes the nature of the business, background information on t ...

, and submit it for judging. * ''Technical Innovation Plan'' Students build an international team, envision any kind of technical solution, explain it to a panel of judges. * ''Explorations'' Students work on their own on science, technology, engineering and mathematics units of study called "challenges." * ''Green Earth Corps'' Students work on their own or with any team, build a home and business auditing service, earn while they learn and serve. * ''GCA-350'' Students create an awareness event about the need to reach "350 parts per million" of in the atmosphere. Each Challenge earns certain points, and in the end, teams with the highest scores win and earn scholarships, travel awards to the Governor's Institute on Engineering in Vermont, cash prizes, and tuition scholarships.

News coverage

The program was the lead story "Save the World" in Learning & Leading with Technology November 2007. In the Burlington Free Press in July 2008, and has led to a number of youth-authored articles on Cogito.org, for example: Using Nanotechnology for Cost Effective Converters as well as Educating Myself, International Style.

Notes

External links