One of the greatest challenges of being a teacher is trying to convince your students why they should care about anything that you write on the blackboard. You have to bridge the gap between their current boredom and ten years later, when they will finally appreciate the utility of what they are learning.
Yet there are always a select few who don’t need convincing. They’re already on their way to the moon. For the time I don’t always have to spend on these bright stars (because I am babysitting the apathetic), I am grateful for programs like the Peter Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards and the opportunity it provides for high school students to make their own advances.
Now in the finalist stage of it’s 2009 – 2010 selection process, high school students have once again proven that there is no minimum age cap on mixing creativity and real world application. Teams of finalists compete in the four categories of aerospace engineering, renewable energy, green schools, and space nutrition for a $5,000 grant to develop their proposed products. (For one example – check out that the geek with the sweet Midwest accent in the vid upstairs!)
The Conrad Foundation was founded in memory of Peter Conrad, an American astronaut who took part in Apollo 12, with the hope of enabling young minds to connect education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In school, Conrad wasn’t one of the bright stars – he flunked grades and had serious problems reading and writing due to his undiagnosed dyslexia – but later, he became an astronaut. Talk about a rockstar high school reunion he must have had….But anyway, because of this, I am unable to give up on any of my students. Not even a little bit. They could all be astronauts for all I know.
So why am I telling you about the Conrad Spirit of Innovation awards now – when this year’s competition has already closed? Well, I know how high schoolers love to procrastinate, so it’s better to inform them today, so that they’ll be ready for the big, bad unknown of tomorrow. Time to take your moon shot now and make it count.
Conrad Foundation
By enabling young minds to connect education, innovation, and entrepreneurship, the Conrad Foundation provides a bold platform for enriching human capital.
- Organization Type: Non-Profit
- Website: http://www.conradawards.org/
- Founder(s): Nancy Conrad
- See complete company list here
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