Obama to honor young inventors at science fair - washingtonpost.com: WASHINGTON -- Hey kids, grab those beakers and Petri dishes, the White House is going to hold a science fair.
President Barack Obama said Monday he would convene a national science fair next year to honor young inventors with the same gusto that college and professional athletes celebrate their victories at the White House.
'You know, if you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House,' said Obama, a sports fan as much as a science nerd. 'Well, if you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too. Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models.'
He said they would show young students how "cool science can be." He noted $260 million in companies' donations to take science into more classrooms with television programs and celebrity science personalities.
The president made his remarks as he decried what he described as students' lagging performance.
"Now, the hard truth is that for decades we've been losing ground," Obama said. "One assessment shows American 15-year-olds now rank 21st in science and 25th in math when compared to their peers around their world."
