...for students during an annual sign-up road show at the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or C4ISR, campus at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, on December 11, 2012. The eCYBERMISSION road show hosted by the Research, Development and Engineering Command's communications-electronics center, or CERDEC, recruited members of the C4ISR community to participate in the Army Educational Outreach Program, which challenges student teams in grades six-through-nine to apply the scientific method to solve a problem in their community.

"The students who participate in the eCYBERMISSION program really do represent the best and brightest of our future generation. In order for not only the program, but the students to be successful we need the support of the current workforce to nurture their efforts and reinforce the importance of what they are doing," said Erica Bertoli, CERDEC Outreach team lead.

This year student teams can choose a problem relating to one of the following topic areas: alternative sources of energy; environment; food, health and fitness; forces and motion; national security and safety; robotics; or technology. Participation in the competition is free, with awards for state, regional and national winners. Virtual judges are assigned to review and grade student-team submissions to help determine which teams will advance to the regional competition. The reviewing is done completely online, allowing virtual judges the convenience of grading during their free time from any computer, said Bertoli.

"By serving as a virtual-judge for eCYBERMISSION, you are taking an active role in ensuring the continued excellence of American innovation for generations to come," said Bertoli.

The CERDEC Outreach team is nearly halfway to their goal of registering 200 virtual judges and plans to host another eCYBERMISSION road show in late January. STEM professionals who wish to sign up to be virtual judges, or would like more information, can email CERDEC Outreach at [email protected]. (Story by Allison Barrow, CERDEC)