President Obama last week launched a call for young scientists and inventors. He invited young minds to submit their ideas on science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) directly to him and become part of the Kid Science Advisors.
A young scientist, nine-year-old Jacob Leggette, inspired him at the sixth and final White House Science Fair this past April by pointing out that the President had a group of adult science advisors, but had no input from children. The inventor from Baltimore, MD, is a whiz at 3D printing and specializes in additive and subtractive manufacturing to create a wide array of toys and gadgets.
President Obama has proven his support of STEM and education through the yearly science fairs in which dozens of young prize-winning inventors are invited to showcase their projects. Past exhibitors have created homemade spacecrafts, identified supermassive blackholes, and shot air cannons in the White House.
The formation of the kid advisory committee coincides with his overall ”Educate to Innovate” campaign that promotes STEM amongst school children.
“One of the things I find so inspiring about these young thinkers is that they look at all these seemingly intractable problems as something that we can solve,” Obama said at April’s science fair.
“There is a confidence when you are pursuing science. They don’t consider age a barrier. They don’t think, well, that’s just the way things are. They’re not afraid to try things and ask tough questions.”
Whether it’s solving global warming, finding cures for disease, or beyond, applicants have until June 17th to apply here.
