Dr. Albert Einstein

Dr. Albert Einstein Supernova Award
*For Scouts BSA (age 14 years or older and First Class Rank), Venturers, and Sea Scouts

A Note to the Mentor

The Supernova awards recognize superior achievement in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). All experiments or projects should be conducted using the highest level of safety protocol and always under the supervision of a qualified, responsible adult.

Requirements

NOTE: A youth must be a registered Scouts BSA (age 14 years or older and First Class Rank), Venturer, or Sea Scout when this work is completed to earn this award.

Third-Level Supernova Award for Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts

A guide to earning and mentoring the Dr. Albert Einstein Supernova Award may be downloaded, as well as a flowchart to help explain the process.

Earn either the Thomas Alva Edison Supernova award while a registered Scouts BSA or the Wright Brothers Supernova award while a registered Venturer or Sea Scout (hereafter referred to as Scout).

Complete FOUR additional Supernova activity topics, one from each of the four different STEM areas. Note: Upon completion of the Dr. Albert Einstein Supernova award, the Scout will have completed two Supernova activity topics in each of the four STEM areas for a total of eight.

Pick one of the eight Supernova activity topics you have completed and present the activity to a group. The group may be fellow Scouts, students, adult leaders, friends, or family.

With guidance from your mentor, select a current STEM-related concern and develop a research project or experiment (“the project”) related to that area. Prepare a one-page written proposal detailing your scientific hypothesis or engineering objective and your proposed experimental methods, which must be approved by your council’s STEM Committee before you begin work. Execute the project or experiment, and then prepare a complete and well-documented written report AND an oral presentation. Present both the oral and written reports to your mentor and to your local council STEM committee.

This research project or experiment should be challenging and should require a significant investment of time and effort on your part. (A guideline would be approximately 100 hours.)

If your mentor is not a specialist in the area of your project or experiment, they will request assistance from a specialist who will serve as a STEM consultant.

Submit the Einstein Supernova application along with all the supporting documentation, reports, and data for all parts of all requirements to your council’s STEM Committee chair or Advancement Committee Chair, who will coordinate the group’s review and convey their decision.