U.S. Army's eCYBERMISSION Program Connects Educators and Students to Nation's Leaders in STEM Through FREE Competition

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U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

Sep 22, 2010, 09:00 ET

Registration now open for STEM competition that awards students for their innovative and creative approaches to using the scientific method to solve problems in their local community

BALTIMORE, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army, in an effort to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, announced today that registration is now open for its FREE, web-based, STEM competition, eCYBERMISSION.

As students are getting back into the routine of school and homework, parents and teachers are looking for new, exciting ways to keep their students engaged in learning. eCYBERMISSION encourages and rewards all students for their innovation, creativity and interest in STEM education. By participating in eCYBERMISSION, students are learning the real-life application of STEM and that, through teamwork and creativity; they can have a positive impact on their schools and communities.

Managed by the U.S. Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command, the competition is a free, web-based, STEM competition for students in grades six through nine. Throughout the competition year, students and educators are connected to eCYBERMISSION Volunteers, called CyberGuides, who interact with eCYBERMISSION participants through various outlets, including online Discussion Forums, team Chat Rooms and interactive webinars. CyberGuides are Army and civilian scientists and experts within the STEM fields, with an active Department of Defense clearance security, who provide online assistance.

Guided by an adult Team Advisor, students form teams of three to four, and identify a problem in their community that they are interested in studying. The students work through the scientific method by researching the problem, forming a hypothesis, conducting experiments to test their hypothesis,  draw conclusions and propose potential solutions.

eCYBERMISSION offers several resources for students and Team Advisors throughout the competition year, including Mission Folder tips, supplemental worksheets, interactive webinars, CyberGuide chats and an active social media network. eCYBERMISSION maintains a friendly staff at Mission Control, the eCYBERMISSION Help Desk, which participants may utilize for assistance in all aspects of the program and competition, from technical support to educational resources.

Students on winning teams can receive up to $8,000 in U.S. EE Savings Bonds. The 16 regional first-place winning teams also receive an expenses-paid trip to the National Judging and Educational Event, where they present their projects to a panel of National Judges and compete for the national title in each grade.

Last year, more than 13,000 students participated in the eCYBERMISSION competition and the Army awarded over $1 million in U.S. EE Savings Bonds. Since the program's inception in 2002, more than 71,000 students from across the nation and in U.S. territories and Department of Defense Education Activity schools worldwide have participated in the competition and the Army has awarded more than $8.6 million in U.S. EE Savings Bonds in support of the STEM leaders of tomorrow.

To learn more about the eCYBERMISSION competition, visit www.ecybermission.com or register for an informative and interactive webinar by clicking a link below or copying the provided web address into your browser:

Intro to eCYBERMISSION: See How STEM Can Work in Your World

For more information, contact Rachael Lighty at [email protected] or 1-866-GO-CYBER (462-9237).

About the U.S. Army RDECOM

RDECOM is the Army's primary source for integrated research, development and engineering capabilities that empower, unburden and protect the Warfighter to enable the dominance of the Army. RDECOM provides the full spectrum of basic research, development, engineering and analysis of Warfighter systems, from concept to capability. RDECOM is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., with laboratories and research and development centers throughout the country and representatives throughout the world. For more information on RDECOM, visit www.army.mil/rdecom.

SOURCE U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command

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