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Code of Conduct

Updated December 2021

This Code of Conduct (this “Code”) applies to your participation in our Launchpad programs.

Digital citizenship is a critical component of the Programs. Our Services are continuously monitored to promote internet safety and security.

By participating in a Program as a mentor or student, you agree to the following code of conduct:

  • Core Values. Mentors and students will aspire to the Launchpad’score values of hard-work, integrity, respect and responsibility.
  • Copyright. Mentors and students will not take credit for other people’s creative work.
  • Cyberbullying. Online cruelty or harassment will not be tolerated. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment will result in the termination of the offender’s participation in the Programs and may be a violation of law.
  • Confidentiality. Mentors and students will not share details about their communications with third parties without the other’s prior express consent and, if the student is a minor, without the prior express consent of the student’s parent or legal guardian.
  • Communication. Mentors and students will not use offensive language or transmit offensive images to other students or mentors.
  • Mentor-student Meetings. In-person mentor/student meetings are prohibited, unless they occur at Academy/GSA sponsored group events.
  • Mentor-Student Personal Relationships. Mentors and students are strictly prohibited from establishing and engaging any form of personal relationships other than a relationship that is appropriate and strictly within the mentor-student context, either at or outside Academy/GSA sponsored group events.

Reporting Your Concerns

We strongly encourage mentors and students to report violations of this Code via the concern form. Download documents below:

Guidelines for Online Communication

  • Think twice before posting. Posts on social media can take on a life of their own. Consider what could happen if a post becomes widely known and how that may reflect on you. Search engines can identify posts years after they are created, and comments can be forwarded or copied. If you wouldn’t say it at an event or to a member of the media, consider whether you should post it online. Even in closed groups, other Program participants may use or reuse your information or posts in ways you can’t anticipate, so please keep this in mind before posting.
  • Be respectful. Understand that content contributed to social media sites may encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should be considered carefully before posting.
    Strive for accuracy. Always try to get the facts straight before posting on social media.
  • Identify your views as your own. While you may be affiliated with a Launchpad Program, such as the Junior Academy, or other organizations in some way, you should refrain from speaking on social media on behalf of any person or organization except yourself or making statements that could be perceived as speaking on behalf of others.
  • Protect your identity. We strongly recommend that you avoid publishing the kind of personal information, such as your home address, telephone numbers, email address, or credit card or social security numbers, that could be used by identity thieves or to harass or defraud you. You may not post any personal information on the Launchpad website about anyone who is under 13 years old, and if you are under 13 years old you may not use the LaunchPad website.

This Code of Conduct is a part of, and incorporated by reference in, our Terms of Use. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Code have the meanings assigned to them in our Terms of Use.

A New Partnership Aims to Strengthen US-China STEM Collaborations

Two men shake hands after signing an agreement for future collaboration.

The New York Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology are teaming up to advance science and innovation on a global scale.

Published March 12, 2024

By Nick Fetty
Digital Content Manager

Two men shake hands after signing an agreement for future collaboration.
Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, shakes hands with Zhiqiang Han, Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, after signing a memorandum of understanding for a new collaboration between the two institutions.

Science diplomacy took a significant step forward recently, when Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO, The New York Academy of Sciences met with representatives from the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology (SAST) in Shanghai, to discuss hosting international science and technology forums. The resulting agreement codified a partnership dedicated to advancing long-term collaborations between the two institutions, as well as collaboration on youth scientific and technological education and innovations.

“Global issues require global solutions,” said Dirks. “This new partnership will be an excellent way for us to strengthen the relationship with our partners in Shanghai and other parts of China where promising STEM education, research and innovation is taking place. Given the current geopolitical climate, it is critical for us to develop these kinds of international collaborations to advance solutions for the public good globally.”

This sentiment was echoed by Professor Zhang Jie, President of the SAST. “A small step today is a giant leap for the future to promote scientific and technological cooperation between China and the United States, and even globally,” said Zhang. “Through the collaboration, we hope that more American scientists and even global scientists will understand Shanghai and China better, come to Shanghai and China, and carry out borderless scientific and technological cooperation.”

Enhancing the Junior Academy

A follow-up visit by Meghan Groome, PhD, Senior Vice President of Education at the Academy, advanced the conversation on potential in-person and virtual collaborations for students studying STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The Academy’s award-winning Junior Academy provides a scalable and impactful way for students to participate in virtual exchange programs. The Academy plans to expand its partnership with students of Shanghai through increased outreach to schools in the region.

Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of The New York Academy of Sciences, and Jie Zhang, President of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology.

While in Shanghai, Dr. Groome also addressed the Deeper Learning China conference, an event dedicated to building a community of educators in China focused on Project Based Learning. in collaboration with Deeper Learning Global. Dr. Groome encouraged educators to take a light-hearted approach to implementing AI in the classroom, while building their knowledge base about the strengths and weaknesses of different AI products. She also discussed future plans with the Deeper Learning China leadership, to explore ways to expand The Junior Academy, a “game changing” student collaboration and research network, to more schools in China.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence

Groome also participated in the first “China-United States Seminar focused on the Vision and Future Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence in Arts Education”. At the Nine Trees Performing Arts Complex in Shanghai, she spoke about the importance of understanding the impact AI will have on our societies as a whole, including the arts.

“Although my focus is STEM, I’m increasingly relying on my background in the arts to help explore and explain these large, technological shifts in our lives. We can no longer teach in siloes but must expand how the integration, or convergence of subjects can lead to a better understanding of our changing world,” she told the audience. “I believe that AI can expand access to the highest quality arts [and STEM] education through AI-driven software and instruments. Like with sports, AI can enhance our practice time, providing us with expert feedback anytime, anywhere. Finally, it can dramatically enhance our creativity and allow us to collaborate like never before.”

The Adventures of the Nutritional Kingdom Project

Bowls containing fruits, nuts, and other super foods.

Winners of the Junior Academy Innovation Challenge Spring 2023: “Healthy Snacks”

Published February 27, 2024

By Nicole Pope
Academy Education Contributor

Team members: Natalie O. (Team Lead) (United States), Lara K. (Jordan), Connie H. (United States), Mariem M. (Egypt), Ibrahim S. (United States), Amena S. (Jordan)

Mentor: Leticia Mendoza-Martínez (Mexico)

Childhood obesity has become a major public health issue around the world. In the United States alone, 1 in 5 children is overweight or obese– a particularly prevalent issue in the Hispanic community, where lack of access to affordable, healthy food along with other socioeconomic factors create major disadvantages.

For the Junior Academy’s 2023 Spring Innovation Challenge on “Healthy Snacks”, six students formed an international team to develop “The Adventures of the Nutritional Kingdom”– a campaign to encourage healthy eating aimed specifically at Hispanic children in the southern U.S. Collaborating across continents and time zones, the students met online to create the winning project. “Cooperation enhances the goal because when a group from different countries of the world gathers to work on one goal, this undoubtedly confirms its importance,” Meriem says.

According to the CDC, 26.2% of Hispanic youth are obese. Childhood obesity can have broad consequences, from long-term health implications like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, to psychological impacts like anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, (often related to bullying). Before devising their solution, the team conducted a survey of Hispanic families in both Spanish and English to help them identify a novel approach.

Natalie assumed the role of Team Lead. “I was in charge of overseeing everyone’s collaboration efforts, notifying team members of their weekly tasks, and was the head website developer for the team. It was a surreal experience being a leader of such intelligent and motivated students. Our ideas were productive, and our final results are absolutely spectacular,” she says. “I learned valuable leadership and time management skills that will help me in future years to come.”

To reach the target audience, the team created an interactive, kid-friendly website with a vibrant jungle theme and gender-neutral animal characters, as well as a series of articles providing useful information on healthy nutrition and eating disorders. They also explored recipes, recreating a popular snack using alternative, healthier ingredients, and created an app with 13 different games that incorporated important nutritional information.

Meriem worked for hours on developing the games, using vivid colors attractive to young users. “I contributed by writing four articles on healthy eating habits and summarizing the problem and background of our solution,” explains Connie. “I also researched (former First Lady) Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, alternatives to unhealthy snacks and previous initiatives introducing healthy snacks.”

Ibrahim conducted research and contributed extensive data on physical exercise and hydration. “I read articles and answered questions such as how people got their nutrients during the Great Depression, foods that can be cooked at low temperatures as well as foods that keep hydration in your body and more,” he says. Among her many contributions, Amena focused on how to reach the target audience for the app. “I provided my knowledge and skills in business and marketing the product to help us reach children, whether they were high or low-income children, as well as designing the product’s packaging,” she explains.

The team is excited to see their carefully considered, multi-faceted project create social impact, hoping to find ways to even further reduce mental stress and health problems among Hispanic children. In particular, they want to make their website available in Spanish as well as English to expand its reach. “This experience has fostered a deeper understanding of the power of teamwork and its capacity for optimizing collaborative efforts between human agents,” says Lara. “Future pursuits will undoubtedly involve enhanced focus on cooperation among individuals to promote more effective outcomes.”

The Junior Academy was supported by the Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, and is administered by the Aspen Institute.

The Junior Academy of The New York Academy of Sciences Announced as Silver Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Platform for the Third Annual Anthem Awards

The Academy announced today that its highly regarded Junior Academy has been named the Silver Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Platform.

New York, NY | January 30, 2024 – The New York Academy of Sciences announced today that its highly regarded Junior Academy has been named the Silver Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Platform in the Third Annual Anthem Awards. Launched by The Webby Awards in 2021, the Anthem Awards honors mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. This year’s Anthem Award Winners were selected from a pool of over 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).

“Since 2016, over 15,000 students from 100+ countries have participated in the Junior Academy, gaining knowledge while also learning to apply STEM to real-world challenges,” said Meghan Groome, PhD, Senior Vice President of Education at The New York Academy of Sciences. “Through the Junior Academy’s platform Launchpad, students can engage in a world-class science program, meeting students worldwide and gaining technical and fundamental work-ready skills such as collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. We thank our sponsors for making the Junior Academy possible.”

The New York Academy of Sciences’ Junior Academy was relaunched in 2016 as an online community and collaboration platform. It currently has over 2,500 members from over 80 countries. The platform is designed to directly address the opportunity gap between young people who love STEM but have limited opportunities to participate in work-ready programs such as research experiences and internships.

The Junior Academy recruits thousands of high school students worldwide who self-assemble into virtual teams through a custom-designed virtual platform called Launchpad to solve real-world problems using STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). Using technology to reach students traditionally shut out of science and STEM careers ensures that any student with internet access can participate in this world-class science program. The goal is to identify and connect the students and give them the tools to solve growing local and global problems. By solving real-world problems, students will build both the technical and soft skills needed for the workforce of the future.

“The Anthem Awards were born out of the desire to amplify and celebrate the voices that are creating sustainable change and to inspire others to take action,” said Patricia McLoughlin, Anthem Awards General Manager. “In a year where so much is at stake, it is incredibly important to recognize impact work and celebrate the progress happening globally. Congratulations to all of this year’s Winners.”

About The Anthem Awards

Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose and mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. The Anthem Awards was launched in response to the prevalence social good has taken within the national conversation and cultural zeitgeist in recent years. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity; Equity & Inclusion; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. Founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, Glaad, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.

About The Webby Awards

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites; Video; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps, Mobile, and Voice; Social; Podcasts; and Games. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received more than 13,500 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Verizon, WP Engine, YouGov, Brandlive, Canva, NAACP, KPMG, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, Podcast Movement, and AIGA.

Innovation Challenges

Overview

For over a decade, the Academy has worked with partners across industry, academia, and government to offer Innovation Challenges, virtual competitions that engage student innovators to apply their curiosity and creativity to solve real-world problems. Using the Academy’s unique online platform, Launchpad, participants collaborate on project-based activities while spanning time zones and cultures. Browse our current Innovation Challenges as well as past Challenges below.

Active Challenges

There are currently no active challenges. Learn more about key dates for the Junior Academy.

Previous Challenges with Resources

Living in the Extremes

Our world is constantly changing; with the rise of severe natural disasters mainly due to climate change and our growing world population, we must explore ways to live in more extreme environments. In this challenge, you will focus on one “extreme environment” and propose a comprehensive solution to sustain life there.
Read More >

Air Quality & Health

Air quality has been a known health issue to people and cultures around the world for hundreds of years. Today air pollution is believed to account for 7 million deaths annually, most of which are the result of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Design a technical solution to address a key source of pollution.
Read More >

Ethical AI

AI is changing the landscape of the world as we know it. How can we maximize the benefits of AI while also implementing useful boundaries to minimize the disadvantages and dangers? In this challenge, you will develop a solution to address one specific issue that AI poses.
Read More >

From the Academy Blog

An inside look at our innovation challenges teams and their impressive accomplishments.

Eco-twisters

“When redesigning our solution, we prioritized accessibility and eco-friendliness and ended up reducing the size.”
Read More >

The Junior Academy

Students smile and pose together during an Academy event.
Program Overview

Introducing exceptional students to an online community where they gain access to best-in-class STEM resources and work together to solve real-world problems.

“The journey of meeting friends and collaborating as a team to solve challenges is the best part of the Junior Academy.”

The Junior Academy is a project-based learning program where students form international teams and work with STEM experts through an online community platform. Students participate in innovation challenges where they collaborate under the guidance of STEM mentors to design solutions to real-world problems. Students and mentors can participate from anywhere in the world.

Challenges are sponsored by industry-leading companies and are preceded by a kick-off week, which provides preparation for the challenges and builds relevant skills in areas such as research methods, design thinking and data analysis. Once a challenge begins, students self-select into teams and gain access to STEM experts, who serve as mentors, guiding teams throughout the challenge process. Additional STEM professionals serve as judges who score each solution and choose a winning team.  

The Junior Academy connects students, experts and industry leaders through the Academy’s virtual collaborative learning platform, Launchpad. Launchpad is where all of our programming takes place and where we host our in-depth discussions, challenges, expert talks and more. This platform was built specifically to support the Junior Academy network — there’s nothing else like it. The platform is accessible to all, providing students with the support they need to pursue their science curiosity. Community leaders are charged with making sure all students receive the individualized support they need to access our platform.  

Hear From Junior Academy Students

Hear students in the Junior Academy talk about how the program works and their firsthand experience innovating creative ideas to solve real world challenges.

Innovators Like You Around the World

Check out the map below to see where our Junior Academy members are located!

Benefits
The Challenge Process
For Students
For Mentors
FAQ

Stay Connected

To receive the latest news and important announcements for our education initiatives, including The Junior Academy, please log in. Navigate to My Account and, under Contact Preferences, select STEM Education Updates to subscribe to our newsletter.

Contact Us

For more information, contact education@nyas.org.

Improving Cyber Security through Research and Policy

Winners of the Junior Academy Innovation Challenge Spring 2023: “Cybersecurity”

Published January 11, 2024

By Nicole Pope
Academy Education Contributor

Sponsored by NEOM

Team members: Jessica K. (Team Lead) (United States), Ritwik D. (United States), Neha B. (United States), Bhavya D. (United States), Farah M. (Jordan)

Individuals, businesses, and governments increasingly operate in a digital landscape. But as homes, medical systems, banking services, and key infrastructure connect via complex online networks, cyberattacks have increased exponentially. Developing strong protections against various forms of cyberthreats has become critical.

Enter Cybersafe, the 5-student American/Jordanian collaboration that formed the winning team in the Spring 2023 Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge.

“I’ve been thinking about two things: collaborating with cybersecurity experts and conducting user research,” says Bhavya.

A Focus on Phishing

After thorough research on various cyberthreats, the team evolved to focus on “phishing”, an illegal practice that uses fraudulent emails to manipulate recipients into divulging private information– information used for blackmail, identity theft, embezzlement, and even resale to other criminals.

Email remains the hackers’ easiest route to breaching online security and obtaining sensitive data. The scale of this cyberthreat is staggering: Every day, 3.4 billion fraudulent spam emails are sent around the world, using fake sender addresses to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information. The consequences for victims can be devastating.

In 2022 over 300,000 phishing claims were filed in the United States alone. This is a 61% increase compared to the previous year– with costs estimated at $2.7 billion. Cybercriminals are often hard to trace, particularly because they tend to select victims carefully, focusing on vulnerable, often elderly people. Phishing perpetrators often avoid attracting attention by launching large numbers of small attacks. To coerce and deceive their victims, they keep in touch with trends and constantly adjust their messages and tactics.

A Two-Pronged Solution

Through brainstorming and effective teamwork, the students came up with a two-pronged solution to curb this global scourge.

“I gained a lot of insights from this experience and learned how to work with someone rather than under someone,” says Farah. “I took on various tasks so we could share the workload evenly and efficiently.”

First, they focused on developing software that enables Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interact with and enhance testing systems on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. These systems can automatically analyze emails and attachments in order to detect malicious content.

“One of the most valuable things I learned from this experience was the importance of open communication and collaboration,” says Neha. “I found that by working together and sharing our ideas, we were able to create a stronger end product than we could have individually.”

Advocating for Policy Changes

In addition to this technological solution, the team members advocated for policy changes to better protect the public from cyberhackers. In particular, they suggested new legislation to prevent tactics such as impersonation of co-workers or relatives in order to coerce victims into soliciting private information, clicking on malware links, or downloading harmful attachments.

The law would impose tougher penalties on cybercrime perpetrators, increasing fines and the likelihood of imprisonment. It would also require the most frequently targeted companies and organizations (in 2020: financial services, payment platforms, and webmail) to update their security protocols on a regular basis, implement two-factor authentication, and increase funding for cybersecurity research and development.

The students felt confident in their twofold solution to combat phishing and improve the security of personal devices: 1. With the help of AI, identify and filter harmful emails and alert potential victims, and 2. Enact new legislation to improve cybersecurity and impose harsher punishments on online criminals.

A Dual Approach

Developing this dual approach involved hard work for the Cybersafe team. This was particularly evident when it required coordinating the time zones of two separate continents. It also offered them opportunities to discover new fields and acquire new skills.

“Normally my project revolves around nature and ecologic science, so this was a nice time to try something new and test my recently developed skills,” says Ritwik. “Although I have a very busy schedule outside the Academy, I tried to make the best of my free time and dedicated myself to this project.“

After successfully completing the challenge, the students felt enriched by the experience and proud of their joint achievement– made even sweeter by learning they were the winning team.

“I learned a lot of collaborative skills from this project, including how to lead and participate in a team setting,” says Team Lead Jessica. “Working with this team was a wonderful experience and I look forward to future collaborations.”

Appy Bhattacharya

PhD Scientist
NYU Tandon School of Engineering  

Some of the highlights of my membership in NYAS are being selected for Science Alliance Leadership fellowship, participating in Scientist-in-Residence to mentor middle schoolers and getting them excited about a career in science, and also gaining valuable mentorship through their mentor-mentee pairing program. It’s been an incredible experience!

Guilherme Durvan António Zandamela

PhD student
The Scripps Research Institute

The greatest benefit in joining the Academy was meeting and befriending like-minded people from all around the globe. It has been inspirational to see how the peers I met and I have all grown over the years. I was initially invited to be a young member of the Academy and later chose to remain close because I identified with the academy’s ideals and appreciated the continued impact of its programs on aspiring scientists, problem-solvers, and tactful leaders.

Maitreyi Muralidhar

Student member

Joining the Academy as a young member has truly been a remarkable experience. Through the mentoring platform, I was able to connect with students across the globe and meet amazing mentors who have played a huge part in my life! I am grateful for all the skills I picked up from doing the challenges like scientific reasoning and critical thinking, which will surely go a long way!

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