Continuing to show our support of academics, particularly in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math), Davison is this year’s proud sponsor of  The Challenge Program (TCP) at Meadville Area Senior High School.

Recently, TCP selected five Meadville Area Senior High School seniors to receive financial awards for their year-round academic efforts.

TCP Communications Assistant Kayla Wasko said that last week’s awards recognized students not only for their academic achievements, but also for other notable attributes.

“The Challenge Program, Inc. held an awards presentation at Meadville Area Senior High School last week to reward five senior students for their achievements in academics, attendance and community service,” said Wasko.

Further specifying the awards, TCP’s Mark Ziegenfuss said the financial awards recognized Attendance, Academic Improvement, Academic Excellence, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and Community Service.

Pictured below are the outstanding students who received this year’s TCP awards: (left to right) Thomas Leech (STEM Award); Samuel Mehan (Attendance); Jonah Foxman (Academic Excellence); and Brianna Maciejewski (Academic Improvement). Missing from photo is Morgan Youngs (Community Service).

Ziegenfuss went on to thank Davison for supporting the Meadville Area Senior High School awards.

“Our efforts would not be possible without business partnership like Davison International,” said Ziegenfuss. “The Challenge Program is always excited to be a part of the recognition of your student successes and achievements!”

Congratulations to the five outstanding Meadville Area Senior High School seniors who won this year’s TCP awards!

Copyright Davison 2014

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We found out exactly what that looked like last Friday, April 4th, when Inventionland hosted the 2014 WQED Design Lives Here Invention Convention!

Students in grade sixth through eighth from Franklin Regional Middle School, Seneca Valley School District’s Haine Middle School and Bethel Park School District’s Independence Middle School unleashed their creative sides during the day-long inventing extravaganza.

As usual, this year’s Invention Convention helped to support STEM education, or the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The day included a few inventing challenges, but highlighted one in particular, where students teamed up to pitch new invention ideas to our very own team of Inventionland Creationeers.

Here’s just a peek at this year’s WQED Invention Convention:

Copyright Davison 2014

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“You watch too much TV!”

We all grew up hearing authority figures and parents scold us for inactivity. Well, Nigeria is doing something about their entertainment-obsessed youths.

According to a recent article posted on The Guardian online, “Over 75 percent of Nigerian children now spend most of their time watching movies …”

So Lagos – the most populated city in Nigeria at nearly 8 million – partnered with Kids Invent! — the world’s leading provider of innovation-based kids science activities that stimulate the creative interests and abilities of children ages 7 to 15. According to the article, around 300 kids participated in the invention programs, which consisted of a 5-day camp where children were encouraged to invent toys and even price their inventions for the market.

“There is a huge gap in the kids in our country today, but with this trademark program, we can tap into the lives of every innovative and creative children,” Emma Okoro – managing director of the group – told The Guardian.

Co-creator and Group Managing Director of Kids Invent!, Prof. Ed Sobey argues that kids learn best when they are creatively engaged. He noted that Kids Invent! activities are appropriate for schools, after school programs, home schools, summer camps, museums, and wherever kids are eager to experience hands-on, innovative learning.

Kids Invent! was created by Professors Ed Sobey and Timothy M. Stearns, who developed the first Kids Invent! summer camp as an outreach program for California State University in Fresno.

Davison applauds all activities that promote education and get children off the couch and creating! Here’s to hoping that more countries, including the United States, realize the importance of early education in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields.

(Recently, a group of students visited Inventionland as a project aimed to garner interest in STEM. Read about it here.)

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