About the series
The Blacks in Government (BIG) National Science Foundation Chapter will host a virtual 2022 STEM & Oratorical Competition on Saturday, May 21, 2022 (10am to 12pm EST) for high school students in grades 9 – 12. The official theme is: "Creativity Inspired by Science and Technology." This competition is designed to challenge the creative minds of high school students. The attached document highlights the specific details of the competition.
The STEM competition invites students to create a superhuman character that came to Earth to restore unity, inclusiveness, and cooperation. Students will name their super character and create a story explaining how the character got their superpowers. Students will also demonstrate in the story how the superpower character addressed a current "civil wrong" issue that is trending today. Participants will also use technology to create a 3-min video that shows the science-powered character in action. No prior technical experience is necessary to participate in the competition. However, students must work with either a BIG NSF Chapter appointed or high school subject matter expert (SME) as a mentor.
Prizes will be provided for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place competition winners. In addition, the 1st place recipient will have an opportunity to compete at the BIG Regional competition and may have a chance to participate at the BIG National level during the National Training Institute (NTI) conference in Cleveland, Ohio, the week of August 15.
NSF staff recorded a video to explain the competition and assist in the application process. Click on this link, and when prompted use the passcode below:
Video Access Passcode: N$x7t&?i
Students must complete and return the attached enrollment form before 5:00 pm (EST.), May 6th, 2022, to participate in the STEM competition. In addition, the BIG-NSF Chapter will hold a virtual information session on April 16th (11am to 12pm EST) to answer any questions you may have.
NSF Parents: If you are an NSF colleague and you have a high schooler that may be interested in participating, please let us know.
We are searching for mentors: If you have a computer science or similar background and are interested in working with a student to develop their presentation, please contact the BIG NSF Chapter Program and Plans Committee (bigatnsf@gmail.com).
We are searching for Judges: We need at least three judges for the competition. If you are interested in joining as a judge, please contact the BIG NSF Chapter Program and Plans Committee (bigatnsf@gmail.com).
Feel free to contact the BIG NSF Chapter Program and Plans Committee (bignsfprogramandplans@nsf.gov) if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Lisa Mackall
President, BIG NSF Chapter
