The Northwest Ohio Center for Excellence in STEM Education, in partnership with the Bowling Green State
University Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, will hold a Believe in Ohio STEM
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Forum on Thursday. The forum, which begins at 9:40 a.m. and ends
at 1 p.m. in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union, will introduce the Believe in Ohio program to high school
students in the northwestern region of Ohio.
NWO is hosting the forum as part of its role as a STEM Advocate of the Ohio Academy of Science.
Presentations include:
• “My experiences developing Nostalgia, an app that helps reconnect families to their loved ones with
Alzheimer’s” by BGSU student entrepreneur Jacob Kielmeyer
• “My experiences developing a versatile ice bag for athletes with a unique strapping system for use on
an injured body” by BGSU student entrepreneur Rita Tavpash
• “How taking risks and networking intertwines with the Hatch experience and how college can enable
students to achieve their dreams” by BGSU student entrepreneur Michael Johnston
• How the Choose Ohio First Scholarship program and other STEM/Innovation/Entrepreneurship financial
support programs at BGSU can help prepare students for the future
Believe in Ohio is a free, comprehensive, curriculum-based program that was developed collaboratively
with Entrepreneurial Engagement Ohio that will prepare students to meet the demands of a rapidly
changing labor market by creating opportunities through STEM and entrepreneurship. Students will develop
STEM Commercialization or STEM Business Plans and be afforded the opportunity to compete for more than
$500,000 in awards and scholarships.
Funded by the State of Ohio, the Believe in Ohio program has successfully reached more than 10,000
students from more than 150 high schools across every part of Ohio. Students successfully completed
nearly 8,000 STEM Commercialization and STEM Business Plans, with more than $1.2 million in awards and
scholarships to Ohio colleges and universities.
As the STEM Advocate for the region, NWO will be the point of contact for high schools who wish to adopt
the curriculum and participate in the Believe in Ohio program. For more information, visit
https://believeinohio.org/.