Texas Instruments and NASA launch virtual scavenger hunt with out-of-this-world prizes

"The Search for STEMnauts" provides students with a chance to develop critical coding and STEM skills

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Apr 19, 2017, 10:00 ET

DALLAS, April 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) and NASA today launched "The Search for STEMnauts," a virtual scavenger hunt designed to ignite students' interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Each week, for the next six weeks, students in sixth through 12th grade are challenged to solve space-related puzzles for a chance to unlock virtual reward points. The student team with the most points at the end of the challenge wins an out-of-this-world prize pack, including TI's new limited-edition Galaxy Gray graphing calculator, a $500 Amazon gift card, a stellar NASA swag bag and a live video chat with an astronaut.

International Space Station (ISS) Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson and Commander Shane Kimbrough invite students to enter “The Search for STEMnauts” contest. Watch this short video from the ISS to learn more about this virtual scavenger hunt from NASA and Texas Instruments, designed to ignite students’ interest in STEM subjects.

Texas Instruments and NASA have partnered to launch “The Search for STEMnauts,” a virtual scavenger hunt that challenges students to unravel space-related riddles for a chance to win stellar prizes.

The weekly challenges range in difficulty from beginner to advanced and introduce students to the coding and problem-solving skills NASA employees, including astronauts, use in their jobs every day. From cracking a code using TI's basic programming language to calculating the travel time between Earth and Mars, students will put their STEM skills to the test.

"The future of space exploration lies in the hands of students in today's classrooms," said Peggy Whitson, a NASA astronaut who has been to outer space three times and is currently living and working on the International Space Station. "By creating opportunities to encourage teamwork, creativity and problem-solving, we can make learning fun and set students on a course to become the next generation of explorers."

Students who accept the mission will automatically be entered to win TI's new Galaxy Gray TI-84 Plus CE, one of the coolest STEM tools on planet Earth. Students are also invited along on weekly virtual field trips, offering exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to NASA's headquarters. Student teams can check out where they stand, in relation to their classmates and other competing teams from around the country, by following real-time updates to the "Search for STEMnauts" leaderboard on the contest website: STEMnauts.com.

"We've added a high-tech, interactive twist to the traditional scavenger hunt that will appeal to all students," said Peter Balyta, Ph.D, President of Texas Instruments Education Technology. "By making a game out of learning important skills, like coding and problem-solving, we hope to foster a life-long love of STEM and open students up to a variety of exciting career opportunities."

To view the official contest rules and to accept the mission, visit: www.STEMnauts.com.

About Texas Instruments:

Education Technology, a business of Texas Instruments, provides a wide range of tools connecting the classroom experience with real-world applications, helping students and teachers to explore mathematics and science interactively. TI's products and services are tested vigorously against recognized third-party research, which shows that the effective use of graphing calculators improves the mathematical skills of students and their attitudes toward mathematics. For more information, visit www.education.ti.com.

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is a global semiconductor design and manufacturing company that develops analog ICs and embedded processors. By employing the world's brightest minds, TI creates innovations that shape the future of technology. TI is helping more than 100,000 customers transform the future, today. Learn more at www.ti.com.

SOURCE Texas Instruments