A group of leading U.S. foundations wanted to address the decline in science scores among middle-school students. Their goal was to get more kids involved in science and technology through problem solving and community service.
The foundations turned to MMS Education for help. Working together we created the implementation program for the Christopher Columbus Awards program, a cutting-edge national competition that combines science and technology with community problem-solving in a real world setting. Students form teams, identify an issue they care about and use the scientific method to develop an innovative solution. Over the years, more than 15,000 students have taken part in the program, with several teams securing U.S. patents for their ideas.
Over the years, MMS Education has been responsible for managing all of the education marketing and then implementing this program from start to finish. Some of the specific responsibilities include creating a guideline booklet for team coaches that explains how the program works and how it correlates with the National Science Education Standards, a bonus for any coach who is also a teacher. The booklet provides tips on sparking teamwork and brainstorming among students, suggestions for using scientific methods and a timeline that guides teams through the research and entry process. We also developed a student booklet with entry requirements, timeline for preparing to enter the competition and information on protecting intellectual property and applying for patents.
MMS Education continues to manage the day-to-day operations of the Christopher Columbus Awards program. We create and fulfill the program’s direct mail marketing, distribute e-mail announcements and updates and staff a 1-800 number to handle all inquiries. We identify and recruit judges for each of three panels, process the entries and plan and coordinate the logistics for the National Championship Week recognition event, held each year in Orlando, Florida.