Badging and the Intel^®  Science Talent Search^® 2013

Intel and Society for Science & the Public recently won a joint grant for $150,000 from the fourth Digital Media and Learning Competition, held in conjunction with the Mozilla Foundation and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, for the Intel SSP badge initiative. Learn more about the Mozilla Foundation's Open Badge Infrastructure initiative here.

The Intel SSP badge initiative will feature SSP’s premier high school science competitions, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) and the Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), which reward independent scientific and engineering research. This grant will enable the development of badge systems to improve academic achievement, economic opportunity, civic engagement, and opportunities for lifelong learning.

Intel STS 2013 badges

Completing an Intel STS application is not an easy task, but it is well worth the effort. In recognition of the time and energy successful Intel STS applicants put forth, SSP and Intel are launching a program whereby all valid Intel STS 2013 entrants will receive an Intel STS Entrant Badge. This virtual badge will enable successful applicants to exhibit to peers, professional scientists, and universities the accomplishment of entering Intel STS. 

There are four other badges a succesful entrant might earn with their Intel STS 2013 entry:

• Intel STS Student Initiative Badge
• Intel STS Scientific Research Report Badge
• Intel STS Semifinalist Badge
• Intel STS Finalist Badge

Students who are not selected as semifinalists can still earn the Student Initiative and Scientific Research Report Badges by scoring well in those areas. Please note that the teacher of each successful applicant listed in their application will also receive an Intel STS Teacher of Entrant Badge!

To earn an Intel STS 2013 Entrant Badge, the following must be true of an entry:

• The entrant must be an eligible entrant, according to the Rules and Entry Instructions.
• All portions of the application must be submitted, not just completed, prior to the deadline of November 18, 2012 at 11:59pm Eastern time. 
• The application must be completed thoroughly, at the high level expected of an Intel STS Entry. 
• Entries submitted without complete, thoughtful responses, as determined by Intel STS Evaluators, will not earn badges.
• The entry must pass an originality check, which ensures that it accurately cites sources and does not claim the work of others.  

After submissions pass this initial review, an email will be sent to each valid and successful entrant in late December 2012 with instructions on how to claim the badge. Claiming your badge is optional. You may also choose to display or keep your badge private once it is claimed. 

If you have questions, please contact SSP.

 

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This material is based on work supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation under Prime Award no. 11-97913-000-USP and The Regents of the University of California.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation or The Regents of the University of California.