Auburn recently was host of the first-ever National Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) Conference on June 18 through June 20.
This was a first for Auburn, as it was recently named the national BEST headquarters in January thanks to the work of Mary Lou Ewald and George Blanks.
"Auburn has a rich tradition of outreach programs for K-12," said Ewald, director of outreach for the College of Sciences and Mathematics and Vice President and Regional Representative of BEST Robotics. "We acquired the national headquarters because of our efforts to being it here and through the students and teachers impacted."
Held in the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center, representatives from all 32 competition sites were in attendance. Here participants gave interest sessions on information ranging from the highly technical to the less scientific.
Many local industries were involved, including representatives from Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Alabama Power, Donaldson Company Incorporated, and Briggs and Stratton.
BEST, the second-largest educational program in the United States, actively engages more than 10,000 students each year, teaching them about the application of sciences, math and the importance of leadership and teamwork.
"It's important to note that BEST is not about building robots," Ewald said.
The BEST conference was sponsored by Auburn's College of Science and Mathematics and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Each college also has students who regularly volunteer with Auburn's two BEST competitions in the fall and winter.
"It's a very unique program for Auburn students to interact with other students," said Blanks, director of continuing education for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering as well as the executive director of BEST robotics. "A large number of students who did BEST in high school are getting involved again by helping with the competitions."
One of the best BEST feeder schools in the state, according to Blanks, is Austin High School, who has had at least 60 students come to Auburn while continuing to stay involved with the competitons.
Auburn participates in two BEST competitions each year, which includes the War Eagle BEST during the fall and the South BEST Championship in December. Throughout these competitions more than 150 Auburn students can be found volunteering.
"(Ewald and I) jointly started the BEST program here in 2001 and Auburn quickly took the lead," Blanks said.
BEST is a non-profit organization free for schools K-12 to participate in. According to their website, BEST was established in 1993 with 14 schools and 221 students and has now grown to have more than 700 middle and high schools and more than 10,000 students competing each fall.
"It's one of the most unique programs in the country," Ewald said. "It relies heavily and only on sponsors."
This weekend's first National conference featured pre-conference workshops which included Starting a Hub, New BEST Teachers, Intro to SolidWorks and BRAIN Workshop. Sessions included cultivating community partnerships, organizing large teams for success and tips on how to successfully navigate a BEST competition. The conference also included a Hyundai plant tour, a newly signed sponsor of BEST.
"BEST didn't have a home," Blanks said.
Auburn gladly welcomed the first National Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology Conference to the loveliest village on the Plains.
"We're really growing more programs to impact the public," Ewald said.
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