Judging the DASH+ Entries

In working at one of the leading experiential science museums, I have a keen interest in seeing science and technology fully infused throughout society. Beyond that, I like to think of myself as an impassioned “car guy.” So I jumped when the opportunity presented itself to help judge the DASH+ high school contest envisioning environmentally responsible driver interfaces of the future.

At the Saint Louis Science Center I’ve helped the center transition from a “learning by seeing” institution to a “learning by doing” institution. And that is precisely what the DASH+ contest experience has provided for these high school students. The contest presented teenagers with the opportunity to theorize and design something with importance and relevance to today’s world.

I was pleased to see so many teams not only eagerly accept the challenge, but also succeed with designs that were inventive, resourceful, realistic and practical. As a fellow inhabitant of our resource-challenged planet, it’s extremely reassuring to see today’s young people show such passion in coming up with creative ways to solve practical engineering problems and consider heady environmental issues.

I was honored to serve as a judge for the DASH+ high school contest and want to congratulate all of the teams on a job well done. I’m excited to see the results as the contest progresses to the public phase, where online public voting begins on May 1. Be sure to visit http://fuelourfuturenow.com/contest and do your part in helping to choose the winner.

—John Wharton, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Facilities, Saint Louis Science Center

LEGOLAND, Philadelphia Style

The following post was written by Mitch Aiken, Director of Education, and originally appeared on the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE blog on March 20, 2010.


LEGO Education has built an impressive display here at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference in Philadelphia. In the LEGO exhibit space, teachers and students can explore the wonderful array of LEGO products designed to enrich the study of Science and Engineering.




I got hands-on practice with alternative vehicles including...

Human powered (By hand crank!)

Wind Powered...

And Solar Powered...

Last night, we returned to the Franklin Institute for a screening of IMAX HUBBLE 3D an amazing documentary which chronicles the latest (and final) shuttle mission to the Hubble space telescope, to make necessary repairs and upgrades that should extend the Hubble’s productive life by years. This great documentary premiers this weekend and I encourage you to see it in an IMAX theatre near you.

Pillar in the Carina Nebula...

The Butterfly Nebula...