North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) today announced a new statewide partnership with Time Warner Cable. The company is investing $30,000 in cash and in-kind support to NCSO as part of its Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) initiative.
The NCSO, housed at N.C. State, puts on rigorous science competitions, or Olympiads, each year to help boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in North Carolina. The annual competitions, which began in 1974 in North Carolina, draw thousands of students from hundreds of schools across the state. Over the next three months, the organization will operate 23 tournaments on college campuses. NCSO also provides summer camps for elementary and middle school students and professional development for teachers throughout North Carolina.
Time Warner Cable, the second largest provider of video, high-speed data and phone services in the United States is partnering with the North Carolina Science Olympiad after the organization's existence was threatened following elimination of its funding from the state budget in 2011.
"The North Carolina Science Olympiad, and its Board of Directors, are very pleased with this statewide partnership with Time Warner Cable and excited about the future and what we will accomplish together," said Dr. Jason Painter, Executive Director for the NC Science Olympiad. "Our organization has grown 76% in the past five years and Time Warner Cable's emphasis on STEM education is critical to the success and survival of organizations like ours that focus to inspire young people to build STEM skills today so that they can be our engineers, scientists, and innovators of tomorrow."
"Together Time Warner Cable and the North Carolina Science Olympiad can inspire the next generation of problem solvers by making young people aware of STEM opportunities," says Carol Hevey, Executive Vice President of Operations, Time Warner Cable East. "One of the goals of our Connect a Million Minds initiative is to expose students to science and math in fun and engaging ways and Science Olympiad does just that."
Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) is Time Warner Cable's five-year, $100 million philanthropic initiative to connect youth to ideas, people and opportunities that will lead them to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). More information can be found at www.connectamillionminds.com.
About North Carolina Science Olympiad
North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) is a nonprofit organization with the mission to attract and retain the pool of K-12 students entering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers in North Carolina. Every year NCSO hosts tournaments on university, community college, and public school campuses across the state. These tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of different hands-on, interactive, challenging and inquiry-based events that are well balanced between the various disciplines of biology, earth science, environmental science, chemistry, physics, engineering and technology.
Each year, 450 K-12 schools representing over 8,000 students and 60 counties in North Carolina participate in NCSO activities. NCSO is indebted to the thousands of volunteers that donate their time each year to making our activities a success.
The challenging and self-motivating events of NCSO align with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study as well as the National Science Education Standards. The events are designed to enhance and strengthen both science content and process skills.
Contacts:
North Carolina Science Olympiad
Jason Painter, 919-515-9402
Executive
Director
