Will.i.am Pushes STEM With Innovation Contest

Black Eyed Pea will.i.am and Time Warner Cable are teaming up to inspire young innovators with the "Wouldn't It Be Cool If..." contest. 

The contest challenges students between the ages of 10 and 15 to come up with "cool" innovations--early entries range from the feasible to fantastic--from waterproof phone cases and fuel-efficient cars to "a pen that writes what you think" and an "autochore" machine.

"I need you to come up with some crazy ideas that'll change your community or the world, because it's you that'll be running the world 20 years from now," will.i.am says in a video introducing the event. "Apply that knowledge you have and come up with something where you are competing with Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and Michael Dell."

Four finalists will be flown to St. Louis to pitch will.i.am and Dean Kamen, founder of the FIRST robotics competition. The winning student will have the product developed by Fahrenheit 212, a consulting firm that works to get new inventions manufactured. Entries are due March 28.

Have something to share? Send news and submissions to stem@usnews.com, or tweet @jason_koebler.

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