Ten80 Education And South Shore Cultural Center Host National STEM League STEMfest For Chicago-Area High Schools Sponsored By The U.S. Army

CHICAGO, Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten80 Education and the South Shore Cultural Center will host a National STEM League (NSL) STEMfest for Chicago-area area high school students and educators thanks to the sponsorship and support of the U.S. Army. On Oct. 16, 2014, up to 1,000 students and educators will gather for the Ten80 STEMfest at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago to showcase the NSL initiative and the relevance of STEM education for students. 

Ten80's National STEM League is a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative that inspires all students to engage in sustained learning, a collaborative network and optional competition league adopted by schools in 37 states. Students are invited to own their own businesses that specialize in racing, robotic exploration, energy technologies or innovations that emerge through the combination of hardware and software. The teams collaborate and compete with other schools from the Chicago area, benefitting from more than 10 years of development from Ten80's engineer-educators and the role models provided by the U.S. Army. 

Sponsored schools will join the national initiative that is attracting a broad and diverse audience to STEM learning. The program's high ratings from Change the Equation, along with sponsorships from the U.S. Army and other leading entities, ensure today's youth are prepared to meet the challenges of today and in the future.

"The U.S. Army supports high-performance education initiatives that are research-based, compelling for youth and reach a widely underserved audience," said Mark Davis, deputy assistant Secretary of the Army for Marketing and director of the Army Marketing and Research Group. "The level of engineering and teamwork on display in Ten80's classrooms and competitions is reflective of the Army's leading-edge technology and the powerful, realistic training of its Army Soldiers."

Like today's soldiers and professional motorsports teams, the students' mental, emotional and physical strengths will be put to the test as they worked in teams to collaborate, create and compete in project categories that include: racing, engineering design and fabrication, computer-driven innovation, and sustainable transportation through renewable energies.

Additionally, world-renown electronic dance music artist DJ Crespo will participate in the STEMfest event. As part of the event's activities, DJ Crespo will share how STEM plays a critical role in his day-to-day activities as a performer. Students will be treated to a special performance by DJ Crespo at the conclusion of the day's event.

Teams participating in the Ten80 NSL Exposition will compete to win an invitation to the National STEM League Finals in Charlotte, N.C., in May 2015, where they will test their skills against more than 30 teams from around the country. Teams that attend the Expo with at least 25 students will be invited to become sponsored teams in the 2014-15 academic year, with hopes of competing in an Invitational in spring 2015.

A complete list of Army STEM-focused programs and Ten80 events can be found at ArmyEdSpace.com, NationalSTEMLeague.com, and Ten80Education.com.

The EXPO is open to all educators, parents and mentors interested in learning about STEM and about the National STEM League.  E-mail Ten80 Education for more information.

References:

Change the Equation. (2013). Change the equation recognizes four exemplary STEM learning programs [Press Release]. Retrieved from http://changetheequation.org/press/change-equation-recognizes-four-exemplary-stem-learning-programs

For additional information contact:
MJ Smith – TEN80 Education
Toll Free: 1.855.TEN80ED (836-8033) Ext. 1
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Ten80 Education; U.S. Army