Hi again, it’s Rebecca, Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) Correspondent from Exploris Middle School in Raleigh, NC. Exploris is a really neat charter school with only 190 students. Because of our size and location in downtown Raleigh, we get to do some really cool projects. Recently, we’ve been studying water. I had never realized how big of an issue water is — we would all die if we ran out of water, yet we are polluting it, dumping trash in it, and killing its’ inhabitants. If we stop doing all those bad things
we can help conserve water.

 

Here’s a question: Do you think we can use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to make a difference? It’s up to my generation to make the changes! Our school worked with the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation on a documentary film project about water. Here are links to 2 five-minute videos we made. One is the winning video (Kids can Conserve) and the video my group did (Where did my water go?). Enjoy!

The entire CAMM initiative is about our generation not being prepared for the jobs requiring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). I’m looking forward to representing my school and Raleigh on Time Warner Cable’s Global Online Town Hall on Nov. 17. They’re going to connect our school up with schools and students across the country and even in Australia, China and Finland!

To find out more about STEM careers before the town hall, I e-mailed my cousin, Kelsey, who went to MIT and then Stanford to take a master’s program specializing in renewable energy. I think this is really amazing because she is using STEM everyday with her job! Recently, she has been in California helping a utility company build a 200-mile long transmission line to bring wind energy into Los Angeles!

I think more people should become interested in STEM because it will affect us so much in the future! Here is the web address for a cool YouTube video that talks a little more about wind turbines and renewable energy:

Until next time!

Rebecca Evans

Editor’s Note: Raleigh is one of the host sites for a global on-line town hall meeting on the subject of math and science in schools sponsored by Time Warner Cable and its Connect a Million Minds initiative.

Thousands of students from around the world will be logged on and participating in the event on Nov. 17, including the entire student body from Exploris Middle School.

Students from Exploris will gather at the Museum of Natural Sciences for the big event and for a separate local forum on why American students are behind other developed countries in the area of math and science.

Eighth-grader Rebecca Evans will get the opportunity to ask questions on camera during the global discussion. She is blogging about her experience.