eCybermission is an Army Educational Outreach Program for competitions designed to engage and guide students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education! eCybermission is a web-based competition to promote students solving real life problems in their community. Through the program, teams of three or four students are asked to identify a problem in their community related to one of seven following areas:

•  alternative sources of energy
•  the environment
•  food
•  health and fitness
•  force and motion
•  national security and safety
•  robotics
•  technology

This year BA students competed against 4,200 students during the competition to win their awards. After selecting their mission challenge, students work in teams under the guidance of a team advisor to propose a solution. Mrs. Payne was the Team Advisor, who worked with 7 teams in the 6th and 7th grade.

[caption id="attachment_23411" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/SCHOOLS-BMS-ecybermission-team.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-23411" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/SCHOOLS-BMS-ecybermission-team-300x200.jpg" alt="Karen Madden and Bill Hager with the winning teams." width="300" height="200" /></a> Karen Madden and Bill Hager with the winning teams.[/caption]

Mrs. Payne’s 1st place team, called the Peanut Butter Fluffs, had three members: Christy Stowe, Hope Locke and Ky McLemore who will each receive a $1,000 savings bond from eCybermission.

The project for the winning team analyzed Beaufort Middle School recycling with the goal of trying to make students and teachers more aware for the need to recycle. They advertised with posters in the hallways, went on the morning news program, and encouraged students at lunch to recycle. Did it work? When they started their analysis, the amount of recyclable trash in the bins in the back of their school was approximately 250 centimeters in depth. Since they put up posters around in the hallways and in the classroom, it has increased to approximately 556 centimeters in depth. More than double the amount of recycled materials.

The Peanut Butter Fluffs were assisted by Kathryn Madden who is the current Beaufort County Recycling Coordinator and an adjunct professor with USC Beaufort.

Mrs. Payne’s team that placed 2nd in the competition in South Carolina called themselves the 2nd Generation Regular Guys who consisted of Cameron Cook, Carlisle Salapare, Chance Stephens, and Rayed Hamid. Each of these students will receive a $500 dollar savings bond from eCybermission for their project.

The 2nd Generation Regular Guys project tackled how to generate electricity during our many local power outages. This enterprising team created a hydropower generator to light a bulb for a limited time – consequently no more total darkness at night when the power goes out. These students were advised by community members: Bill Hager, Local Engineering Manager at SC Electric, John Gilbert, a physicist, and Officer Kenon, a resource officer for Beaufort Middle School.