- edited
I got a chance to go to meet some amazing people this week at the White House Science Fair. A whole bunch of kids with more imagination and innovation in them than most adults; kids who had come up with everything from a better way to protect soldiers heads from explosions to detecting nuclear radiation in containers. Did I mention these were ten to sixteen year-olds? Some very important people were there to honor them: astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson; Bill Nye the Science Guy; NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld; Craig Barrettof Intel; and oh, a non-engineer named Barack.
Some students from North Carolina came up with an app that uses a chest band to monitor your heartbeat. If it detects something irregular, the smartphone automatically asks you if you're okay. If you don't reply, it dials for help. Ingenious, and a great way to leverage Verizon's network (had to put a plug in for us!) while providing relatives with peace of mind for their elderly parents who may be alone. Another student discovered a way to use activated charcoal to filter out pharmaceuticals that are in all our water. Yet another came up with a cost effective way of detecting nuclear devices in shipping containers. Another kid made a land mine detector that was more effective than anything out on the market right now. The list goes on, but you get the idea. What amazed me was just how practical these innovations were and how humbled I felt in their presence. Seriously, these people haven't even been to college yet. Can you imagine what they'll be able to do after that?
The President spent a long time viewing the projects and interacting personally with the students. In his speech he highlighted several students who came from challenging backgrounds — one who was in a homeless shelter when she became a finalist for the fair. Another group came from one of the poorest areas in Texas and had to scrounge to find the money (including auctioning a goat!) to make it to the competition. He commented that we were a nation of tinkerers, and just as the Super Bowl winners get to come visit him at the White House, so too do science fair champions. He also appealed to the reporters present and their editors to give more than just a passing reference to the fair. As he said this, my mind flashed to how much coverage the Kardashian divorce got compared to the typical Science and Engineering event, which, quite literally, can improve the human race.
I grew up the stereotypical engineer: took apart radios, built doorbells, did things with electricity that most adults would frown at, and, in general, spent ridiculous amounts of time with science books. And yet, when I got to college, engineers and science majors were generally overshadowed by the business majors and athletes, aka "the cool people". How many Mark Zuckerbergs, Sergey Brins and Neil DeGrasse Tysons will it take before we realize that this stuff isn't just cool, it's critical for our future?
Verizon has been involved in promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for a long time. Through the Verizon Foundation, we have been working to promote STEM through teacher training, as well as providing the technology — Internet-enabled white boards, tablets etc. — to create digital classrooms and foster academic achievement. But charity aside, we've also begun working on this issue as a viable business model. We've started teaming up with rural schools where no broadband is available, and providing them tablets and connectivity just like we do with regular customers. The schools benefit from having connectivity and devices, we benefit by making a profit. We call it Shared Success.
It's going to take the whole nation to put STEM in its rightful place. We can start by simply appreciating the technologists and scientists, however young or old they may be, as something special. Have you hugged a scientist or engineer today?
To view vital speeches given by our authors, visit our speeches page.
 |
Kathy Brown
S.V.P., Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility
Kathy leads Verizon's global corporate responsibility initiatives and policy development. She also oversees the Verizon Foundation.
James Gowen
Chief Sustainability Officer/
V.P. of Services Operations
James oversees Verizon’s supply chain, vehicle fleet, investment recovery, purchasing and materials management and sustainability initiatives.
Rose Kirk
President, Verizon Foundation
Rose leads Verizon's philanthropic strategy with an emphasis on projects that demonstrate the use of Verizon's technology in addressing social issues such as education, domestic violence prevention and online safety. The Verizon Foundation is one of the 15 largest corporate foundations in America.
Jack McArtney
Director of Corporate and Community Responsibility
Jack promotes digital wellness and online safety. He works with parents, educators, service providers, application developers and industry leaders to foster responsible use of Verizon's mobile and broadband networks.
- Hardofhearin on: It Can Wait . . . What?
-
prisaz
on:
Honoring the Important Work of the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project
- largopat on: Verizon Invests $100 Million in Green Energy
-
on:
An Hour to Make a Difference
-
James_Gowen
on:
Earth Hour and Beyond: 600 Buildings and Five New Environmen
tal Goals -
Kathy_Brown
on:
Announcing Verizon’s 2012 Annual Report
-
on:
Highest Ranked Traffic Cities and Green Cures
-
Rose_Kirk
on:
Join In to End Domestic Violence
-
on:
Powerful Answers in Health Care
- nasnite on: Honoring Service and Sacrifice: Verizon's Support for Veterans and the Military
You must be a registered user to add a comment here. If you've already registered, please log in. If you haven't registered yet, please register and log in.