President Obama today announced the establishment of an annual National Lab Day, a nationwide initiative to foster scientific and mathematic experimentation and invention in young Americans through collaborations between volunteers, students and educators. He also announced the opening of the National Lab Day website, a site that we had the honor of building with Jack Hidary, chairman of the National Lab Day and the Jack D. Hidary Foundation. The site connects scientists and engineers with students and classrooms needing their mentorship, their enthusiasm for science, and their spark.

National Lab Day will take place every year in the first week of May.

We are pleased to be able to contribute to this effort, designed to foster the kind of inquiry that brought us all into the world of technology. We encourage scientists and technologists across the country to sign up to volunteer. In the words of President Obama, “I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it’s science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent — to be makers of things, not just consumers of things.”

Recent coverage:

• Wired Magazine: Making Science Cool: Educate to Innovate
• The New York Times: White House Begins Campaign to Promote Science and Math Education
• The National Science Teachers’ Association: President Obama Announces National Lab Day Initiative
• ReadWriteWeb: Obama, Kids, & All Tomorrow’s Web Apps: President Focuses on Tech Education
• Or see all Google News coverage

We hope that this initiative plants the seeds of innovation in the next generation of young scientists and entrepreneurs.