Bold Ideas Contest: See What K12 Innovation Looks Like

School districts across the country are submitting thought-provoking ideas for Schneider Electric’s inaugural K12 Bold Ideas Contest. We’re passed the midway point for the contest and want to share some analysis of the bold ideas we’ve received.

If you haven’t submitted your idea(s) yet, you have until May 15. Don’t miss your chance to win $100,000 for your K12 school district!

School districts across the nation are submitting innovative ideas for improving their district. There’s no wrong answer for what “bold” means to you. It could be new refrigerators in your cafeterias, building the world’s most powerful telescope or anything in between. A panel of Schneider Electric experts will judge the entries and select the the boldest idea. The winning district will receive up to $100,000 to help support their bold idea.

Ready to submit your bold idea? Visit http://seess.co/K12contest to enter

Student Engagement is a Hot Topic

We’ve broadly coded the bold ideas we’ve received into four categories. These include student engagement, campus modernization, technology enhancements and sustainability efforts. Keep in mind that your bold ideas could fall into one, multiple or none of these categories.

We are intrigued to see that 61 percent of the contest submissions to date are focused on student engagement. Many of these submissions are specifically about engaging students in STEAM education.

As an organization with many highly technical needs, we know firsthand how crucial STEAM education is. Today’s K-12 students are our future engineers and project managers. That’s one key reason why we’re pleased to support STEM engagements across the country as a part of our work with school districts.

In fact, we recently held our inaugural Girls in STEAM Empowerment Conference to highlight the many options for middle school girls interested in STEAM careers.

Ready to submit a bold idea now?

Visit http://seess.co/K12contest and submit your idea!

But STEAM labs and activities aren’t the only student engagement ambitions districts have ideas about.

Other bold ideas on student engagement include curriculum development and specialized learning spaces, including:

• Outdoor learning environments to get kids outside

• Student-operated businesses for real-world experience

• Innovative, play-based facilities to develop student creativity

Career development is also top-of-mind for many districts. We’re seeing many bold ideas for faculty trainings on specialized education tactics.

Unlock New Learning Opportunities with Campus and Technology Enhancements

More than 30 percent of submissions to date are focused on how to create 21st-century learning environments for students through campus and technology improvements. Technology submissions focused on high-speed internet, computers and classroom AV are top of mind for some districts, while others are looking to modernize athletic facilities, science labs and special education classrooms.

Contest Submission Deadline is May 15

It’s not too late to think about what innovation looks like for your K-12 school district. Our contest is a great way to jump-start a new initiative in your district. And remember, no idea is too large or small. Enter by May 15 for your chance to win $100,000. Visit http://seess.co/K12contest to submit.