The Global Challenge: Giving Students the Tools and Confidence to Solve Global Problems - Together

Опубликовано 7 сентября 2016, 16:30

The Global Challenge, recently sponsored by the National Science Foundation ITEST program, supports young women and minority high school students to develop the knowledge, skills and personal vision to see science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) studies as feasible and desirable choices for college majors. Students are formed into mentored international teams that learn together and compete for significant privately raised scholarships while working with IT tools of science - computational science and communication tools - on real-life global problems such as global warming and the future of energy. Student knowledge and skills are enhanced through highly engaging, intensive, long-term contact with research scientists, engineers, mathematicians and project leaders. Global Challenge opportunities are disseminated worldwide through key contacts with STEM professionals in global businesses and higher education. The program seeks collaboration with Microsoft to build and deliver a high quality communication and computational science ΓÇ£world gameΓÇ¥ simulation platform. This platform would provide a new kind of e-learning environment that helps students communicate internationally with peers and experts, create and experience games involving complex systems and scientific simulations relevant to problems explored, and build team products that describe viable scientific and global business ideas - all while certifying student learning. The Global Challenge seeks a long-term multi-stage research and development relationship that has the potential to transform the concept of an e-learning platform and influence the lives of millions of young people all over the world.