A team of three Lawrence Virtual School students has won the eighth grade division of the eCYBERMISSION National Judging and Educational Event, each student earning a $10,000 savings bond.
Lawrence Dao and Daniel Dao, both of Lawrence, and Eian Pracht, of Lindsborg, constitute their team, “The Scientists.” They’re advised by Nancy Jackson.
“A free, virtual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) competition for students in grades 6-9, eCYBERMISSION promotes teamwork, self-discovery, and authentic applications of STEM,” according to a Wednesday news release from the Lawrence school district. “Led by an adult advisor, students work in teams to select a problem in their community to investigate with science or solve with engineering. Participating in eCYBERMISSION, students experience STEM firsthand, learn how they can use it to change the world, interact with STEM professionals, and compete for state, regional, and national awards.”
The Scientists studied the potential for artificial intelligence educational initiatives in schools and assessed the accuracy of ChatGPT’s mathematical reasoning, according to the release.
They presented their findings to the Lawrence school board in April and returned to the board earlier this month for recognition as national champs.
Daniel told the school board that when they were announced as the winning team, “That was probably one of the best moments of my life.”
The national competition started with more than 2,000 teams, according to the release. Five national finalist teams per grade level then competed for the national title. This was the 22nd annual event.
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