Orlando Science School student Atreya Manaswi recently competed as a finalist at Broadcom MASTERS, the nation’s premier science and engineering competition for middle school students. The competition was an all-around success for Manaswi, who won multiple national STEM awards.
Manaswi won the first place Science Award for the project, “Finding the Best Novel, Safe, and Organic Treatment to Attract Small Hive Beetles and Improve Honey Bee Strength (Year 2 Study).” First place winners demonstrated acumen and promise in science, and were awarded $3,500 to be used toward a STEM summer camp experience.
Manaswi was also part of the team that won the Team Award, awarded to the team that best demonstrates their ability to work together and solve problems through shared decision making, communication, and scientific and engineering collaboration. Team Award winners received a gift card to a science supply company to support their interests in STEM.
The Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars), a program of the Society for Science, inspires middle school students to follow their STEM passions through to exciting college and career paths. Thirty finalists took home more than $100,000 in awards.
The competition took place virtually to keep the finalists, their families and the Society staff safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Each of the 30 finalists participated in online team challenges in addition to being judged on their science research projects. The challenges leveraged project-based learning and tested their mastery of 21st Century skills of critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration in each of the STEM areas. The finalists analyzed biodiversity in their local communities, designed clinical trials, constructed gliders and developed functional programs using Raspberry Pis.
Broadcom MASTERS winners were chosen from the 30 finalists selected from 1,841 applicants from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and three U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands). Winners were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, engineers and educators. Each finalist’s school will receive $1,000 from the Broadcom MASTERS program to benefit their STEM initiatives.
