Make eCYBERMISSION the Highlight of your Summer

Summer is almost here, which means sunny days, sleeping in, and summer activities! eCYBERMISSION projects for the upcoming season can begin as early as April, which means summer time is the perfect time to get started. Not sure where to start? No problem! Here’s how to make eCYBERMISSION the highlight of your summer.

Assemble Your Team

eCYBERMISSION teams can be as few as two people or as many as four. Your team can be made of students in your grade, or a mix of incoming 6th-9th graders. Not sure where to recruit members for your team? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

• Get to know your neighbors! Working with other students in your neighborhood makes it easy to meet up. Plus, neighborhood friends are friends for life!
• Since you don’t see each other every day in class, it can be hard keeping in touch with your school friends during the summer. Before school gets out, make an eCYBERMISSION team with your classmates to help stay connected all summer long.
• Summer activities are a great way to meet new people. Do you go to summer camp, compete in a summer sports league, or attend a local summer club? Make an eCYBERMISSION team with other members of your summer activity leagues.
• Do you have siblings or cousins near your age? Create a team together and make eCYBERMISSION a new family tradition!
• Have you done eCYBERMISSION before? Get the gang back together for another year! The more you do eCYBERMISSION, the better your projects become. Who knows? Maybe this is your year to make Nationals!

Find the Perfect Project

Once your team is together, it’s time to find the perfect summer project. The goal of an eCYBERMISSION project is to make an impact in your community by either investigating a problem with science or solving it with engineering. So, the best way to find the perfect project is to look around you!

• If your team is composed of neighborhood kids, why not pick a project close to home? Does litter tend to pile up on one end of your street? Does your elderly neighbor struggle to get their mail every day? Look around your neighborhood for inspiration! 
• Summer time is all about being outside and enjoying the sun, so why not make your project the same way? Investigate which sun protection methods are most effective, or engineer a way to keep cool on hot afternoons.
• Find something you have in common with the other students on your team. Are you all in a summer sports league? Engineer a solution to help prevent common sports injuries. What about a summer outdoors club? Investigate the best ways to educate your community on environmental conservation.
• Think about the things that you care about. Are you passionate about taking care of our planet? Do you care a lot about health and fitness? Focus your project on the things that matter most to you and see how you can make an impact!

Make Your Project Happen! Investigate, Explore, and Problem-Solve

• Divide responsibilities between the members of your team. If someone is an expert researcher, put them in charge of that. If another member is great at building things, they can lead prototype development. Assign tasks based on interests and skills, and don’t forget to work together!
• Make a schedule. Since you know exactly how long summer vacation lasts, create a list of due dates for each part of your project to keep it on track to finish by the time registration opens in the Fall.
• Gather materials for your project. What you’ll need differs based on your project idea, so make a list and keep your eyes open for everyday household materials to use!
• Do your due diligence. Every eCYBERMISSION project requires a completed Risk Assessment form before testing starts. If your project includes humans or animals, you’ll also need IRB approval. Check out the eCYBERMISSION Rules to make sure that you have the necessary forms completed before testing. 
• Start your project! Channel your inner scientist or engineer and get started. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish! 

Make this summer the best one yet with eCYBERMISSION! For more project inspiration, rules explanations, or prize information, check out our website, www.ecybermission.com.

Faith Benner
Sr Communications and Marketing Specialist