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Hundreds of Middle School Kids from around the Country to Compete in TOYchallenge National Showcases in San Diego and Research Triangle Park, N.C.


SAN DIEGO San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay.  -- Former NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
NASA
 in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Independent U.S.
 Astronauts Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the first American First American may refer to:
  • First American (comics), A superhero from America's Best Comics
  • First American, a division of the now-defunction Bank of Credit and Commerce International.
 Woman to Walk in Space, and Dr. Tamara E. Jernigan Tamara Elizabeth "Tammy" Jernigan, Ph.D. (born May 7, 1959, in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is an American scientist and former NASA astronaut and a veteran of five shuttle missions. Education
Jernigan attended Stanford University, where she earned a B.S.
 to Address Student Toy Design Teams

Sally Ride Sally Kristen Ride (born May 26 1951) is an American former astronaut who in 1983 became the first American woman to reach outer space.[1][2] She was preceded by two Soviet women, Valentina Tereshkova (1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (1982). , Smith College, Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
: HAS), Sigma Xi Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society was founded in 1886 at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a handful of graduate students. Members of the non-profit honor society elect others on the basis of their research achievements or potential. , the Scientific Research Society and Sony announced today that TOYchallenge(TM) 2005 National Showcases will be held at the San Diego Aerospace Museum, Balboa Park Balboa Park is the name of several municipal parks, including the following:
  • Balboa Park, San Diego, California, United States
  • Balboa Park, San Francisco, California, United States
  • Balboa Park, Encino, California, United States
  • Anthony C.
 on April 30 and at the Sigma Xi Center in Research Triangle Park Research Triangle Park, research, business, medical, and educational complex situated in central North Carolina. It has an area of 6,900 acres (2,795 hectares) and is 8 × 2 mi (13 × 3 km) in size. Named for the triangle formed by Duke Univ. , N.C. on May 7. Former astronaut Tamara Jernigan will be the West Coast event's keynote speaker and Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space, will speak at the East Coast showcase. The fun-fueled toy- and game-design competition is intended to motivate middle school-age kids, especially girls, to pursue science engineering education and careers.

For the competition's Preliminary Round, teams comprised of at least 50 percent girls, submitted written descriptions and visual presentations of their original toy or game concepts based on themed categories including Games for the Family, Get Out and Play, and Toys that Teach. 207 Preliminary Round finalists were invited to advance to the National Showcases. The submissions were judged on originality, creativity, engineering elegance, feasibility, design process description, team participation and clarity of communication. The top 60 teams were awarded funds to use towards finalizing their creations (which must cost less than $200 to develop, including donated materials) and travel costs. Southwest Airlines This article is about the American airline. For the former Japanese airline, see Japan Transocean Air. For the British airline, see Air Southwest.
Southwest Airlines Co.
, the official airline of TOYchallenge, has generously supplied many complimentary tickets to enable teams to travel to the National Showcases.

"Enjoyment, adventure and a sense of accomplishment are vital to keeping middle school kids, especially girls, involved in science and math," said Sally Ride, founder of Sally Ride Science Sally Ride Science was founded by astronaut Sally Ride to support the large numbers of girls who are, or might become, interested in science, math and technology. The company creates innovative science experiences for girls that empower them, engage them, and encourage their (TM). "We could not be more pleased with the growth and success of TOYchallenge over the past three years."

"At Hasbro, our heart and soul goes into making all of our products, but a key element of a truly fun toy or game is the intricate design and engineering behind it," said Alfred J. Verrecchia, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board.  of Hasbro, Inc. "We are pleased that TOYchallenge continues to help kids understand the mechanics of product development, and allows them to have fun while using and developing important skills."

Teams participating in the West Coast National Showcase at the San Diego Aerospace Museum will be treated to an exciting speech given by former astronaut Tamara E. Jernigan, Ph.D., now with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: see Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

(body) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - (LLNL) A research organaisatin operated by the University of California under a contract with the US Department of Energy.
. Dr. Jernigan spent 15 years as a NASA astronaut and flew five space shuttle missions <onlyinclude> This is a list of missions flown by space shuttles. As of 2006, only the United States has flown human spaceflight shuttle missions, in the Space Shuttle program, while the Soviet Union flew one unmanned flight of the Buran. . Her last flight was a 10-day mission in 1999 during which the crew executed the first docking to the International Space Station. Dr. Jernigan performed a space walk of nearly eight hours to attach equipment to the exterior of the station.

"This is a phenomenal experience for these students -- the chance to apply creativity to their technical skills while being encouraged and inspired by America's astronaut role models is something they'll never forget," said Bruce Bleakley, San Diego Aerospace Museum Executive Vice President.

A highlight for the teams competing at the East Coast National Showcase at the Sigma Xi Center will be an inspiring talk by former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D. In 1984, Dr. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space. She and Sally Ride were crewmates on that historic mission. A veteran of three space flights, Dr. Sullivan was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of fame The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame is located in Titusville, Florida. It features the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia, particularly focusing on those astronauts who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, as well as spacecraft.  in 2004. She has maintained a lifelong commitment to education and is the president and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI COSI Center Of Science and Industry (Columbus, OH, USA)
COSI Creative Outsourcing Solutions International (UK)
COSI Cost of Savings Index
COSI Closeout System Installation (NASA) 
) in Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital and the largest city of the American state of Ohio. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. .

"We're expecting a wonderful turnout of highly creative and motivated students for the East Coast TOYchallenge National Showcase at the Sigma Xi Center on May 7," according to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3.
 Executive Director Patrick D. Sculley. "Nearly 90 teams will compete here, and it will be a memorable experience for everyone involved. Sigma Xi is pleased to be a sponsor once again for this innovative effort to encourage young people, and especially young women, to excel in science and technology."

Winners will be named in each toy category. All category-winning teams will be featured on the TOYchallenge website and each team member will receive a Hasbro toy and game package, autographed books, or other similar prizes. Prizes include trips to Space Camp(R) and the creation of personalized Hasbro figures in each team member's likeness, Thames & Kosmos(R) Fuel Cell Car and Experiment Kits and a Meade ETX-90AT Telescope. All teams will receive certificates of participation. There will also be special awards for design, most educational, engineering, originality and team spirit.
TOYchallenge Preliminary Round Entry Top 10 Finalists:

Highlanders           Toys that Teach: Around the World
(Arcadia, Calif.)     Geography board game where players travel the
                      world answering history questions in each city
                      along the way. To win they must travel by boat
                      and plane paths and be first to pass through
                      10 cities and one continent.

California Aquatics   Get Out and Play: Underwater Xtreme
(Irvine, Calif.)      A cool pool toy that is similar to underwater
                      laser tag. It comes with an UXtreme Light Pack,
                      a flashing red light mechanism you wear on your
                      swimsuit and UXtreme Goggles that block out
                      the flashing red light completely unless you are
                      looking directly at it.

Micro Magik           Games for the Family: Oh No, School's Out
(San Jose, Calif.)    Creative board game where players go into
                      classrooms, based on their class schedules, and
                      answer questions. The object is to get as many
                      correct answers, as quickly as possible, in
                      order to advance in hopes of being the first one
                      to get out of school.

Redwood Innovations   Games for the Family: Global Grub
(Thousand Oaks,       Players travel the world and answer questions
Calif.)               (and learn!) about international foods specific
                      to various regions. Whoever gets around the
                      world first, wins.

Mad Scientists        Games for the Family: Ma-Har-Shala-Hash-Bash
(Preston, Idaho)      (Destruction is Imminent)
                      An educational board game that teaches players
                      about Natural Disasters. Players can gain or
                      lose buildings depending on the cards they pick.
                      The winner is the person with most buildings at
                      the end.

FWAC Delta Academy,   Toys That Teach - Preschool: Bedtime Monkey
Team #2
(Landover, Md.)       Educational bedtime toy which contains a parent
                      pre-recorded message. Squeeze one hand and a
                      story is read. The other will tell the child
                      about bedtime procedures.

Techno Toads          Get Out and Play: Hop to It!
(Brighton, Mich.)     Like Jump Rope, except with a frog, a turntable
                      and infrared light that spins around and which
                      player jump over. Just hope you don't hear
                      "Hop", which means you missed!

Robo-Bucs             Games for the Family: Buccaneer's Bounty
(Mt. Morris, Mich.)   A challenging and entertaining board game
                      requiring logic to advance to the challenge
                      circle and ultimately win the pirate's treasure!

Tween Twisters        Toys that Teach - School Age: TWISTED!
(Chesterfield, Mo.)   A fun board game that teaches about food and
                      exercise while using a DVD for physical
                      challenges.

Toy-Tastic            Games for the Family: Matches & Patches
(Franklin Lakes, N.J.)A matching game where cards with socks are
                      put into a plastic clothes dryer, shuffled and
                      dealt. Players deal sock cards to one another to
                      match all socks in their hand and avoid the
                      "old, smelly sock" that has no match.


TOYchallenge (www.TOYchallenge.com) was developed by Sally Ride, and Smith College's Picker Engineering Program as an outreach activity to engage middle school-age students, especially girls, in science and engineering and to inspire them to pursue careers in those fields. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

A research agency of the U.S. Department of Labor; it compiles statistics on hours of work, average hourly earnings, employment and unemployment, consumer prices and many other variables.
, women comprise only 11 percent of the engineering workforce. However, studies show that, in elementary school elementary school: see school. , equal numbers of girls and boys are interested in--and good at--math, science and technology. Unfortunately, beginning around the sixth grade, more girls than boys drift away Verb 1. drift away - lose personal contact over time; "The two women, who had been roommates in college, drifted apart after they got married"
drift apart
 from these subjects. While open to all U.S. and Canadian students in grades five through eight, TOYchallenge focuses on catching girls' attention in these subjects in order to keep them in the engineering "pipeline." Hasbro has been the program's presenting sponsor since its inception. Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society serves as a principal sponsor for the second year in a row and Sony has joined TOYchallenge this year as a principal sponsor. Southwest Airlines is the official airline of the competition.

Sally Ride Science

Sally Ride Science(TM) was founded by astronaut Sally Ride to support the large numbers of girls and young women who are, or might become, interested in science, math and technology. The company organizes quality events, programs and activities for girls that empower them, engage them and encourage their interests. Current programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, Sally Ride Science Camps, TOYchallenge(TM), and the Sally Ride Science Club(TM) - a national Club created to keep middle school girls engaged in science adventures by connecting them to people, information and attitudes that will nurture their relationship with science. The company also presents Sally Ride Educator Institutes - professional development programs for upper elementary and middle school science teachers with a special focus on planetary science planetary science or planetology, study of planets and planetary systems as a whole. Planetary science applies the theories and methods of traditional disciplines such as astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics to the study of  and gender equity. For more information on Sally Ride Science programs, please visit: www.SallyRideScience.com, or call (800) 561-5161.

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY This article or section is written like a personal reflection or and may require .
Please [ improve this article] by rewriting this article or section in an .
, PARKER BROTHERS Parker Brothers is a toy and game manufacturer and brand. For almost 115 years the company published more than 1800 games;[1] among their best known products are Monopoly, Cluedo (known as Clue in North America), Risk , TIGER, and WIZARDS OF THE COAST Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. Originally a basement-run role-playing game publisher, they popularized the collectible card game genre with in  brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

Smith College is consistently ranked among the nation(1)s foremost liberal arts colleges It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome.

Liberal arts colleges
. Enrolling 2,800 students from every state and 60 other countries, Smith is the largest undergraduate women(1)s college in the country. Smith(1)s Picker Engineering Program, the first such program at a U.S. women(1)s college, is focused on developing broadly educated, engineers capable of assuming leadership roles in corporations, non-profit organizations and technology-related fields.

Sigma Xi (www.sigmaxi.org), The Scientific Research Society, is the international honor society honor society
n.
An organization to which students are admitted in recognition of academic achievement.
 that recognizes research achievement in science and engineering. The Society is a diverse organization with more than 70,000 members dedicated to the advancement of science and engineering. Sigma Xi publishes American Scientist magazine (www.amsci.org), sponsors a grant program for young researchers, and organizes programs and services in the areas of ethics, science and engineering education, communication of science and engineering and international networking.

San Diego Aerospace Museum

Home to the Command Module from the Apollo 9 mission, the San Diego Aerospace Museum celebrates the history of aviation and space flight, educates the public in aerospace technology, and inspires young people of all ages to excel in math and the sciences. The San Diego Aerospace Museum, a non-profit organization and the first aero theme museum to receive accreditation by the American Association of Museums The American Association of Museums (AAM) is a non-profit association that has been bringing museums together since its founding in 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the  in 1986, is located in the historic Ford Building in Balboa Park, 2001 Pan American Plaza. 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. With admission until 4:00 p.m. (Summer 10am to 5:30pm). The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. . The Museum Store is open during museum hours. $9 for Adults/$4 ages 6-17 years/$7 Seniors (65+)/$7 Students with valid ID/ Free Active Duty Military and children under 6/ $4 Simulator ride. Behind-the-scenes Restoration Tours are available for an additional $3 per person. (619) 234-8291. www.aerospacemuseum.org.
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Date:Apr 21, 2005
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