Senate Resolution 32

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING SHAWN CHESSER AND THE STUDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, FOR BEING AWARDED A LEMELSON-MIT INVENTEAM GRANT FOR DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY INVENTION AS A SOLUTION TO REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS.

WHEREAS, we join the national technology community and the citizens of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in congratulating Shawn Chesser and the students at East Central High School in Jackson County, Mississippi, for being awarded a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam Grant. These students from East Central High School are being recognized nationally for their ideas to effect change in their local community using STEM education; and

WHEREAS, selected from a pool of more than 1,000 students, East Central High School's Science Club has been selected as one of 100 state winners in the 12th Annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. As a state winner, East Central High School will receive $6,500.00 as well as a video kit to help them with the next phase of the contest. Science Teacher Shawn Chesser said, "It's the students. I mean, I'm just proud of them as I can be. The work that they've put into this is amazing." The nationwide competition challenges students in grades six through 12 to use STEM skills to address real-world issues in their communities; and

WHEREAS, for the competition, the nine members of the Science Club designed a portable wildfire emergency shelter that is fire-resistant, insulated and compact enough to be stored easily. According to statesasrisk.org, nearly 1.7 million people in Mississippi or 57% of the state's population are at an elevated risk of wildfire. This shelter is designed to protect multiple people during an emergency situation. Tenth-grader Kameryn Bardwell said, "We really found a passion in this wildfire issue and bringing to light that the wildfire issue is not just in the west but that it's throughout the United States and throughout the world"; and

WHEREAS, in the next phase of the competition, ten national finalist schools will be selected to participate in a pitch event where they will present their project to a panel of judges. Seven of these schools will be awarded $50,000.00 in technology and prizes, while the remaining three will be named National Winners and will be given $100,000.00. Tenth-grader Avery Rogers said, "It's not common that our school gets called out for these great things because it's such a small school. Being able to be recognized for this is very good"; and

WHEREAS, this competitive national grant program is administered by the Lemelson-MIT Program, a sponsored program within the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and

WHEREAS, InvenTeam grants are given to teams of high school students across the U.S. who are tasked with identifying a real-world problem and developing a technological invention as a solution. This year, eight InvenTeam grants have been given to high school groups nationwide. This process continues through June, culminating at the annual celebration, EurekaFest, which takes place on the MIT campus; and

WHEREAS, InvenTeam participation fosters an inventive culture within the school and the broader community, and often leads to ongoing change at the school site that lives on long after the grant ends. To date, 12 U.S. patents have been issued for projects stemming from InvenTeams; and

WHEREAS, the members of the 2021-2022 East Central High School Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam are: Kameryn Bardwell, Madelyn Bardwell, Breland Graves, Avery Rogers, Ann Elise Kuy, Leah Rice, Grant Wilson, Brett Killingsworth and Gage Goff; and Teacher/Sponsor of Science Club, Shawn Chesser; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this group of advanced Mississippi students and their teachers who have brought honor to their school, their community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Science Teacher Shawn Chesser and the students of East Central High School in Jackson County, Mississippi, for being awarded a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam Grant for developing technology invention as a solution to real-world problems, and extend our best wishes to the InvenTeam and their teachers, parents and sponsors for future success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the East Central High School InvenTeam and Shawn Chesser, forwarded to the Board of Trustees of the Jackson County School District and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.