Community college students at Pasadena City College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, and Austin Community College recently took home winning titles for their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) solutions to real-world challenges.
Last week, the American Association of Community Colleges, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, announced the three winning teams of the 2021 Community College Innovation Challenge.
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), delivers the educational and economic opportunities for nearly 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream.
The National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering.
Walter G. Bumphus, president of the AACC said the association is proud of the community college students that participated in the 2021 Innovation Challenge.
The annual competition seeks to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking among community college students by challenging them to develop STEM-based solutions to real-world problems. It also enables students to discover and demonstrate their capacity to use STEM to make a difference in the world and to translate that knowledge into action.
“Our nation’s community colleges are leaders and innovators in STEM curriculum and education and this competition fosters the development of those skills. We are thrilled to partner with the National Science Foundation to showcase these students and community colleges and extend congratulations to all of the participants who overcame the hurdles of the pandemic to provide these amazing solutions to real-world issues.”
Twelve finalist teams from across the country attended a Virtual Innovation Boot Camp where they learned from entrepreneurs and experts in business planning, stakeholder engagement, strategic communication, and marketplace dynamics. The Boot Camp culminated in a Student Innovation Showcase with STEM leaders and congressional stakeholders, and a 5-minute pitch presentation to a panel of esteemed industry professionals determining the winning teams.
Among the ideas, the 12 finalist teams presented this year are solutions for addressing the pandemic from biodegradable masks to at-home virus testing; virtual reality applications to provide life-skills training to children with autism; and electric vehicle conversion kits, among others.
“In the Community College Innovation Challenge, students tackle real-world problems. It has been inspiring, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, to see how participants responded to this challenge with creativity and innovative ideas,” said Karen Marrongelle, assistant director for NSF’s Education and Human Resources Directorate. “Community colleges play an important role in building America’s skilled technical workforce and it has been encouraging to see how participants have demonstrated their capacity to use STEM to make a difference in the world and translate that knowledge into action. Congratulations to all the winners for their hard work.”
The first, second, and third-place winning teams and their innovations are:
Pasadena City College (California)
Project: Nano-Bioconjugate Immunotherapeutic
Borough of Manhattan Community College (New York)
Project: Designing Virtual Reality Application for Autistic Children
Austin Community College (Texas)
Project: OASIS – the Officer Aptitude & Stress Information System
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