World's Largest Student Science/Technology Competition Announces 2011 Regional Winners

ARLINGTON, Va., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 19th annual Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Awards Program today announced its 2011 Regional Winners.  Sponsored by Toshiba and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the ExploraVision program is the world's largest K –12 science and technology competition, challenging students to design innovative technologies that could exist in 20 years. The program will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2012, and since its inception, more than 287,000 students have participated. Toshiba has awarded more than $2.5 million worth of savings bonds and prizes. This year the program received 4,346 team entries representing the participation of 13,387 students from across the US and Canada, and regional winning projects reflected in-depth research in scientific fields ranging from GPS and nanotechnology to stem cell and gene research, solar and wind energy technologies and others. (See enclosed document for complete list of winning entries.)

Teacher Survey Shows Overwhelming Positive Results for STEM Education in the Classroom

ExploraVision immerses students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. This year, results of a teacher survey sent to all participating educators showed overwhelmingly that they consider the program a valuable tool for inspiring students. For instance, in response to the questions: "Did the competition enhance your teaching of science?" and "As a result of the competition, have you seen an improvement in student attitudes towards science?," almost 90% of teachers answered affirmatively to both. When asked: "As a result of this competition, have your students learned to work better collaboratively?," 100% of respondents answered yes.

The program selects winners based on how they combine imagination with the tools of real scientific research to envision future technologies that could realistically exist in 20 years. Students learn by presenting their project ideas in ways that reflect modern scientific methods, examining problems and deriving solutions the same way scientists do and considering the positive and negative consequences to their proposed ideas. At the regional judging level, a panel of 56 judges—including science educators, scientists and engineers—evaluates the written entries and chooses the 24 Regional Winners. Winning ideas in this year's ExploraVision competition include a host of potential future breakthroughs that could help make the world a better, safer and more productive place.

On to the National Phase of Competition…

This year's 24 regional winners will now move on to the national phase of the ExploraVision competition, where they will compete to be named among the eight national winner teams, including four first-place and four second-place winners. Students on the four first-place ExploraVision national winner teams will each receive a $10,000 US Series EE Savings Bond valued at maturity. Students on second-place teams will each receive a $5,000 Savings Bond valued at maturity. (Canadian winners receive Canada Bonds purchased for the equivalent issue price in Canadian dollars.) The eight teams will also receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor, and coach to Washington, DC for a gala awards weekend in June 2011. Activities will include a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and a Science Showcase during which the students will display and demonstrate their winning ideas. Each of the 24 regional winning teams receives a Toshiba laptop for the school and each member of the regional winning teams will receive a Toshiba HD Camcorder.

For more information or an application for 2012, visit www.exploravision.org or e-mail [email protected]. Follow ExploraVision on Twitter at @exploravision or join the ExploraVision Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/ToshibaNSTAExploraVision.

About Toshiba

The Tokyo-based Toshiba Corporation is a leading innovator and diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products, spanning information and communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and materials, power systems, industrial and social infrastructure systems, and household appliances. Toshiba employs over 14,000 people in North America and Toshiba America, Inc., is the holding company for five Toshiba operating companies in the United States.

Toshiba's U.S.-based companies and some of their chief products are as follows: Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (Semiconductors, Flash Memory-Based Storage Solutions, LCD, and custom chips); Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (Laptop Computers, Hard Disk Drives, Telephony Products, Flat Panel LCD TVs, and portable products); Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. (Copiers, Facsimiles, Printers); Toshiba International Corporation (Motors, Motor Controls, Power Electronics, Power Generation Equipment, Automation); Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance, X-ray and Ultrasound); Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation (Advanced Boiling Water Nuclear Reactors); Toshiba America Foundation (Supports science and mathematics education across the United States) and Toshiba of Canada, Ltd. (Made up of four operating divisions).

About NSTA

The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), www.nsta.org, is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership includes approximately 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.

SOURCE Toshiba; National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)