The Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes Announce the Winners of the 2015 STEM Voice Video Competition

CHICAGO

The Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI), a group of non-profits organized to advance education, entrepreneurship and STEM workforce development, announced the winners of the STEM Voice video competition in collaboration with MdBio Foundation (Rockville, MD,) EDUCATE Center of the iBIO Institute (Chicago, IL) and the Biocom Institute (San Diego CA).

CSBI congratulates the national middle and high school competition winners, Demetri Sedita and Sarah Bieber. Mr. Sedita, homeschooled in Tampa, FL won the East Regional and the National Middle School Competitions. Ms. Bieber from Berne Union Local Schools in Sugar Grove, OH won the Central Regional and the National High School Competitions. Mr. Sedita and Ms. Bieber’s videos were selected from over 100 submissions nationwide.

STEM Voice is an online video competition open to all United States students in grades 5-12. Each contestant created a one-minute video designed to answer one of two questions – Why is STEM important to YOU? Or who is your STEM hero and why?

CSBI also praises the regional finalists. 2015 Regional Middle School winners for Central and West respectively are: Alexis Lemire, Oakwood Middle School, North Canton, OH and Brianna Jones, Solana Santa Fe Elementary School, Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Regional High School winners for East and West respectively are: Linda Xiong, Dorman High, Roebuck, SC, and Ivy Gong, Torrey Pines High School, San Diego, CA.

“CSBI is proud to produce this competition for the second year in a row,” stated Liisa Bozinovic, CSBI Co-Chair and Director of the Biocom Institute. “Watching all of the creative videos showing how students reflect on how STEM plays a role in their lives and their futures, is one of the highlights for myself and the other judges. It’s inspiring to get a glimpse of our nation’s future STEM heroes.”

The Regional STEM Voice winners receive a $500 cash award. National Winners receive an additional $1,000 cash award. All competing videos are available for viewing online at on the CSBI website www.csbinstitute.org, and in exhibit hall pavilions at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual international convention, which will take place in Philadelphia, PA June 15-18, 2015.

About the Coalition for State Biotech Institutes (CSBI)

The Coalition for State Biotech Institutes is dedicated to ensuring America’s leadership in bioscience innovation by delivering industry-led life science education, workforce development and entrepreneurship programs through a nationally coordinated effort. Programs are uniquely positioned for life science industry to deliver, replicable in states across the U.S., extensible to other STEM industry sectors and are fully aligned with emerging K-12 Common Core Learning Standards. www.csbinstitutes.org

About MdBio Foundation

MdBio Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization that provides innovative, effective, and experiential STEM education opportunities with a focus on bioscience. The Foundation’s interdisciplinary approach uses science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to explore real-world, problem-centric curriculum that bridges school, community, health, and business. MdBio Foundation’s flagship education program MdBioLab, a mobile laboratory for high schools, has provided quality educational experiences to more than 120,000 students throughout the state of Maryland since its launch in 2003. The Foundation also operates other celebrated STEM education programs such as the Young Science Explorers Program for middle school students, the Maryland BioGENEius Competition, and ATLAS: Advancing Tomorrow’s Leaders + STEM college and career symposia.

About iBIO Institute EDUCATE Center

The iBIO Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on orchestrating business leadership in delivery of world-class, educational programs and job-creating new technology ventures. The Institute’s EDUCATE Center delivers industry-led science and math programs for teachers and students, thereby inspiring the next generation of innovators and helping restore America’s leadership in technology education. EDUCATE’s hands-on, inquiry-based STEM programs have impacted over 900 teachers and 70,000 Illinois students since 2003.

About the Biocom Institute

The Biocom Institute is the gold standard in life science knowledge. As a national leader, we have built our reputation on being responsive to industry needs. Job seekers, life science professionals and the public come to the Institute to accelerate their careers through training. Organizations work with us to connect with communities, build business and inspire innovation. We encourage the bioscience workforce to be savvy in both business and science through our various training programs. The Biocom Institute is the producer of the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering (Festival) a free STEM festival open to the public.

About the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

BIO is the world’s largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO’s blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter.” Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.

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