Arizona Students to Demonstrate Talents, Win Cash Prizes at Avnet Science and Technology Fair
PHOENIX -- Budding scientists throughout the state will have a chance to demonstrate their talents, win cash prizes for themselves and their teachers, and be on TV at the 3rd Annual Avnet Science and Technology Fair on Feb. 25 at Castles and Coasters, located at 9445 Metro Parkway East in Phoenix.
Created to give students in grades five through eight an opportunity to apply basic science skills in a creative and productive manner, the Avnet Science and Technology Fair encourages students to invent a new product or process that addresses an unmet need or solves a problem.
'Many of the jobs of the future are in science and technology -- by exposing Arizona children to these fields and encouraging exploration at a young age, the Avnet Science and Technology Fair prepares them to succeed in tomorrow's world,' said Phil Gallagher, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing, Americas. 'Bill Gates began programming computers when he was 13 -- with so many advances since then, imagine what Arizona children can create!'
'Science will soon be included on the AIMS test, and the Avnet Science and Technology Fair is a tremendous opportunity for Arizona children to reinforce what they learn in the classroom,' said Tom Horne, Arizona state superintendent of public instruction, who will attend the event and present awards to the winners. 'Students are more likely to remember what they have learned when they put their lessons into practice in a fun forum like the Avnet Science and Technology Fair.'
To qualify for the Avnet Science and Technology Fair, students must submit their projects to their teachers by Jan. 13. Teachers have until Jan. 30 to select three semifinalists to exhibit their inventions at the event. Home schooled students must submit their projects by Jan. 30.
Entries will be exhibited from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and judged by a panel of professionals from Avnet, STMicroelectronics and other Valley companies. Awards will be presented during a luncheon that afternoon -- winners from each grade level will receive $500, as will their teachers, and they will also demonstrate their winning inventions on a television program. Second-place winners will receive $200, and third place will receive $100. Additionally, STMicroelectronics will award one student $500 for an innovative environmental project and Avnet will award another $500 for an innovative computer science project.
More information on the event and how to enter is available by calling 602-200-8434 or visiting www.AvnetScienceandTechnologyFair.com.
About Avnet
Avnet enables success from the center of the technology industry, providing cost-effective services and solutions vital to a broad base of more than 100,000 customers and 300 suppliers. The company markets, distributes and adds value to a wide variety of electronic components, enterprise computer products and embedded subsystems. Through its premier market position, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of capabilities that help its trading partners accelerate growth and realize cost efficiencies. For fiscal year ended July 2, 2005, Avnet and the recently acquired Memec (closed July 5, 2005) generated combined revenue in excess of $13 billion in the past year through sales in approximately 70 countries. Visit www.avnet.com/.
CONTACT:
Avnet Inc., Phoenix
Jan Jurcy, Public Relations Director, 480-643-7642