US Army, SOLIDWORKS and Ten80 Education team up to get kids competing in STEM.
Recently, high school students and educators from the Boston-area competed in the National STEM League’s (NSL’s) Ten80 STEM Invitational and Expo.
Some 500 students gathered at Dassault Systèmes’ North American headquarters in Waltham, MA to compete in various events, including engineering design/fabrication, racing, sustainable transportation (renewable energies) and innovation.
Ten80 comprises a group of engineering educators who are passionate about connecting educators and students in continuous and faithful STEM learning. The Ten80 Invitational, on the other hand, is an American competition that is hosted by the US Army, SOLIDWORKS and Ten80 Education.
Winning teams from each region will be invited to the NSL finals located in Charlotte, NC this coming May, totalling more than 30 teams from around the US.
The NSL’s goal is to ensure youth are able to practice the engineering trade and become future professionals. Their project-based curriculum aims to get students interested in technical careers from software/hardware innovation to race engineering.
Attendees gain the right to introduce the NSL curriculum to their schools. The material can be used for either courses or clubs. NSL promises the content is both challenging for those experienced in the topics and accessible for those being introduced to it for the first time.
Educators that reserve a spot for their school can receive travel stipends to attend the event. They can also receive sponsorships (up to $4,000) for non-consumable materials, based upon the challenge they choose.
The event’s greatest benefit, though, is the opportunity for students and educators to meet partners and mentors specializing in fields such as robotics, racing, 3D CAD/Printing, aviation, hardware and software.
Source Student Racing Challenge and Dassault Systemes