President Obama's Educate to Innovate Campaign

Here is President Obama's message...



My question is... will the Educate to Innovate campaign encourage innovation? Or will the focus be on science, math, and technology for science, math, and technology sake.

I like the President's rhetoric of children "getting their hands dirty." And I like the fact that Obama had the Myth Busters in the audience - those guys know how to tinker (true innovators).

But I see faults in some of his comments. First, I believe that athletes should not just stand side-by-side with scientists. They should learn to tinker with scientists to innovate. It is this crossover of cultures (robotics/science geeks & athletes, e.g.) that will create an ecosystem for innovation. If you can be a creator in a sport such as football - it may become cool not by association (scientist standing next to an athlete) but by being an athletic inventor (there is a big difference).

Also, the robotics demonstration is nice - but being a robotics "geek" is not going to attract crowds of kids. Furthermore, we have already attracted the robotics kids. It is the other 80-90 percent that need to become interested in innovation based on their interests. This innovative drive will lead them to math, science, and technology.