Secondary school students are being encouraged to compete for the chance to take part in a global innovation award. Teams of 13 to 18-year-olds are being invited, for only the second time, to enter the Spirit of Innovation Awards, run by the Conrad Foundation, which is named after Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad. Using science, technology and entrepreneurship, teams of between two and five students are challenged to submit design and development plans for products that will solve 21st century problems. Winning teams will be invited to present their ideas at the Conrad Foundation’s Innovation Summit at NASA’s Ames Research Centre in California next March. If successful at the summit, they will progress to take part in the United Nations’ Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro next June. The awards are contested by schools in the USA but have been extended to the Isle of Man thanks to one of the main sponsors, Island company ManSat Ltd, whose president/chief executive is Manxman Chris Stott, husband of space shuttle astronaut Nicole. Jennifer Fotherby, Executive Director of the Conrad Foundation, is visiting secondary schools and the Isle of Man College this week to tell them about the 2012 awards. Mrs Fotherby today (Monday) met Eddie Teare MHK, Minister for Education and Children, and Stuart Dobson, Chief Executive Officer of the DEC. In spring 2011, teams from Queen Elizabeth II, Ballakermeen and St Ninian’s high schools and the Isle of Man College travelled to Silicon Valley in California to compete in the awards’ finals, having been selected from among local entrants. Island students focused on aerospace exploration, clean energy and cyber-security. This year, replacing cyber-security, there’s a new category of health and nutrition. Teams entering the 2012 awards will again have an adult coach and ManSat, a global commercial space corporation which has its headquarters in the Isle of Man, will again mentor them as they develop their products. Mrs Fotherby said: ‘To enter, students simply come up with an idea for an innovative product to solve a real-world problem in one of the three categories. Using a network of world-renowned scientists, engineers, academics and business leaders, the competition connects teams with mentors to assist in making their ideas reality.’ Ian Jarritt, Isle of Man Director of ManSat, said: ‘After the excellent showing of the three local teams that took part in 2011, we are very much looking forward to the 2012 event. This is a tremendous opportunity for our students and we are delighted to once again sponsor the Isle of Man’s involvement in this unique programme.’ Ends