National Science Competition Searches for America's Top Young Scientist

SILVER SPRING, MD and ST. PAUL, MN--(Marketwire - March 15, 2011) - Discovery Education and 3M are searching for America's Top Young Scientist in the 2011 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, the nation's premier science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. Science savvy middle school students have one month left to enter this year's challenge.

Ten finalists will receive an all-expense paid trip to the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn. to compete in the final challenge in October. The winner will receive $25,000 and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

As part of this year's challenge, each of the ten finalists will have an exclusive opportunity to work directly with a 3M Scientist throughout the summer during a virtual mentorship program and will be challenged to create an original innovation that helps solve an every day problem in society. Each finalist will present his/her innovation during the final competition at the 3M Innovation Center in October. 

Competition Details:

• Middle school students in the U.S. are challenged to create a 1-2 minute video communicating the science behind a possible solution for an everyday problem related to one of the following categories:
  
  
  • The Way We Move
  • The Way We Keep Ourselves Healthy
  • The Way We Make a Difference

          For additional information on the video topics, click here.

• All video entries must be submitted online at www.youngscientistchallenge.com by April 15, 2011.
• Videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges based on creativity, scientific knowledge, persuasiveness and overall presentation. Students can learn how to craft a winning video by checking out "Entry Video Tips," which features advice from previous winners.
• The official submission rules can be found online.

For more information on the 13^th annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, including submission guidelines and examples of entry videos, go to www.youngscientistchallenge.com. Or check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/youngscientistchallenge.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA) (NASDAQ: DISCB) (NASDAQ: DISCK) revolutionized television with Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $27 billion in sales, 3M employs about 80,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.