I once asked over 200 kids to draw a scientist. Just about every single kid drew the same thing. White hair. Male. Glasses. Lab coat. Potions. It struck me. Not one student saw a scientist in themselves. Not one kid said, “I’m a scientist.” Not one kid believed that. It’s time to change that. We can’t tell kids to be engaged, we have to really make that happen. What better way to do that than encourage them to find their inner scientist and discover, explore, design, and create.
Explore 3M Innovation Stories. Engage kids in discussion about how scientists impact our daily lives. As I look through, I see science and innovation making a difference for our world. Making better lives for people. New developments that fix problems. Creative solutions that improve situations for others. Isn’t that what school should be about? The next time I ask kids to draw a scientist, I hope they’ll draw a photo of a person with a huge heart, with lots of thinking and problem solving lightning bolts, holding the world instead of a beaker. Because science? It’s the world, and our kids need to understand that. Taking a look at the Tumblr “What Does A Scientist Look Like?” will open their eyes to new ideas about the term scientist. It’s time to close the textbooks and involve them in their learning. Active. Real, authentic learning. Not every kid will love science, but every kid deserves a chance to engage in it, to find out for themselves just where their passions are.
Discover Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is an opportunity for 5-8 graders to do just that. The critical years, when kids are losing interest, are a chance to really make a difference and reach their scientific minds. Because 3M has a culture of innovation, the contest is authentic. It’s not about pretend science on the page of a text book, it’s real. 10 finalists will get the exciting chance to work with a 3M Scientist Mentorm with he final competition at the 3M Innovation Center. Imagine THAT chance for a kid to experience science where science is making a difference for the world? Student can enter right here: http://www.
Follow Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge @DE3MYSC on Twitter and be sure to join us for #STEMchat on Twitter April 8 from 8 – 9 PM Central as we talk about how to Raise America’s Top Young Scientist, the title earned by the winner of the DE 3M YSChallenge. I’ll be there, because I was that kid in school that didn’t know what a scientist really was. I would have drawn the guy in the labcoat. And I want to make sure things are different for our kids today. Join the conversation and we’ll explore how to make that happen.
This post is sponsored by the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.