THEMES AND PROBLEMS
MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Biotechnology
- Career Prep
- Challenging Technology Issues
- Children's Stories
- Coding
- Cybersecurity
- Data Science and Analytics
- Digital Photography
Biotechnology
Career Prep
Theme: Select a career from one (1) of the following:
- Bioenergy Technicians
- Data Architect
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Nurse Practitioner
Challenging Technology Issues
- Genetic Testing and Counseling
- Animal Testing for Scientific Research
- The Use of Drones for Surveillance
- Privatization of Space Travel
- Nanotechnology in Consumer Goods
Children's Stories
Coding
To prepare for MS Coding competition, teams should have knowledge of concepts (software development, computer science, and coding topics) that will be on the Coding written test. They also should be familiar and comfortable with using the Scratch programming language.
Scratch is a free visual programming language available from the MIT Media Lab (https://scratch.mit.edu/download). An offline version of the Scratch tool should be downloaded and available on each team’s laptop.
Teams that advance to the semifinalist level, based on written test performance, will perform a challenge using the Scratch programming language. Semifinalist teams will receive the challenge on site and will have two hours to complete it. (PLEASE NOTE: Semifinalist teams MUST have a version of this program available for offline use, as there will be no Internet access available during the semifinalist level of the competition.)
Examples of the types of challenges students may be asked to complete can be found at this link: https://scratch.mit.edu/starter-projects
Cybersecurity
Data Science and Analytics
Determine the potential "movie success" of a fictitious feature film based on different public metrics, such as, but not limited to box office revenue, date of release, movie genre (selected by the team), movie production budget, and more.
Digital Photography
HIGH SCHOOL
- Virtual Reality Simulation (VR)
- Webmaster
Virtual Reality Simulation (VR)
Create a virtual reality (VR) simulation of a family vacation destination that includes experiences and activities that appeal to both young children and teenagers.
Webmaster
Topic: A restaurant (dine-in and carry-out) that specializes in vegetarian food
Challenge: Design a website for a vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Showcase the restaurant’s approach (such as farm-to-table, preparation processes, and sustainability) to the food served in the restaurant.