4-H STEM Shark Tank
California 4-H STEM Education Advisory Committee Presents...
Register for 4-H STEM Shark Tank
All 4-H youth ages 9-18 are welcome to participate.
Register as an individual or as part of a team. If you are registering as part of a team, please make sure to list your team members in your registration.
2023 4-H STEM “Shark Tank”
May 27, 2023, 1:00 - 2:30pm @ UC Davis
Using Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics to Solve Global Issues
Global science-related issues will require a civically engaged, scientifically literature populace who are willing and able to contribute to innovative solutions. Solving global issues will need creative solutions. Our young people are the creative problem solvers needed to solve global issues.
The “4-H STEM Shark Tank” is one way to help you engage in science and engineering practices while also become more civically active. We encourage you to think creatively about new approaches to ensuring our sustainable social, economic, environmental, and agricultural needs are met now and in the future.
Individuals or Teams ages 9 to 18: Pitch Hypothetical Solutions or Inventions to Global Issues
- Individual or teams identify a global issue and create a hypothetical (imaginary) or a working prototype invention/solution.
- Prepare images, digital slides, posters, or models to share your solution/invention.
- You will have up to 8 minutes to pitch your solution/invention to the panel. Be prepared to answer questions from the panel about your presentation.
Award: Top entries receive a gold shark pin, as evaluated on the following criteria:
- 25% Significance of global issue
- 50% Potential for the invention/solution to address the issue
- 25% Feasibility/practicality of the invention/solution
Questions? Please contact 4hsfd@ucanr.edu.
Organizer: Steven Worker
IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, AND POTENTIAL PROJECTS
You may select any global issue.
Numerous global issues are impacting human life and natural systems now and into the future. Clearly summarize the issue you have chosen and why it is important. Then present your solution and the problem it addresses.
Ideas from agricultural and natural resources
Issue: Increasing human populations will need more food.
Why it's important: As the global population increases, food production must expand to meet the increased population demands.
Challenges: Existing crops must be improved, new crops developed, better nutrient management employed, and pest and disease management strategies improved to create sustainable production.
Identify one specific challenge and design a solution or invention that addresses that challenge while also potentially increasing food production overall.
Issue: Energy needs to come from cleaner, sustainable sources.
Why it's important: The demand for energy continues to rise. Conventional energy production (oil, coal) contributes to climate change, thus there are calls for energy production from cleaner and renewable sources.
Challenges: Innovation is needed for more energy production and management, as well as more energy-efficient electrical systems. Switching existing energy infrastructure to support new energy production is extremely costly.
Identify one specific challenge and design a solution or invention that addresses that challenge in order to develop cleaner, sustainable energy use.
Issue: Changes in climate is stressing natural ecosystems.
Why it's important: The quality of natural habitats is being reduced because of air pollution, drought, increasing temperatures, and increasingly changing weather patterns. Natural lands (aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra) need a diversity of habitats and species, adaptability, connectivity, and functional redundancy.
Identify one specific challenge and design a solution or invention that addresses that challenge while also potentially conserving natural resources overall.
