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Have you ever wondered what happens to our CSTA/ACM Cutler-Bell Prize winners? Kevin Meng is one of our 2020 CSTA/ACM Cutler-Bell Prize winners. Kevin graduated from Plano West Senior High School, Plano ISD, Texas in May 2020. Kevin is currently studying computer science and math at MIT. If you would like to learn more about Kevin’s submission for the CSTA/ACM Cutler-Bell Prize, you can check out the story here.
Back in May 2020, Kevin ran the Summer Coding Institute for the Association for Young Scientists and Innovators. The institute ended up serving over 250 students across North America who built capstone projects that floored the judges and teaching staff; despite knowing very little about CS and AI/ML. In case you’re curious, the final report can be found at: https://mengk.me/assets/pdfs/aysi/aysi-sci-20.pdf.
As a freshman at MIT, Kevin has joined a group called MIT THINK. They are a 100% student-led group that turns the science fair/research paradigm on its head. Instead of judging completed projects, they take a bunch of project proposals and provide funding/mentorship to the best ones. This program invites students who may lack a support system around them, but love research and engage MIT students for support. The MIT THINK team is composed of many computer science majors who really love taking on these kinds of technical projects.
The MIT THINK Scholars Program is a nationwide competition that recognizes high school students in the United States for their innovative scientific ideas and selects finalists who will be guided through the research process. Finalists receive a trip to MIT, up to $1000 in funding for their project, and mentorship from MIT students and faculty. The finalists then complete their projects over the course of a semester. Past finalists have gone on to win awards at a number of national science competitions including ISEF, STS, Google Science Fair, and more. Project proposals for this year’s competition are due January 1st, 2021 at think.mit.edu. A poster to promote this opportunity for your students has been included below.
Any program-specific questions can be directed to think@mit.edu.
If you have outstanding computer science students who will graduate this year and may go on to major in computer science, have them apply for the CSTA/ACM Cutler-Bell Prize. The application window opens from December through January each year. Four top prize winners receive a $10,000 scholarship to their college or university. Watch for more information about CSTA Awards.
