Life-Changing Inventions:
Dean Kamen is a renowned inventor and creator whose innovations have saved lives and revolutionized healthcare and human mobility.

STEM Education Advocacy:
Kamen is a passionate advocate for STEM education, recognizing its potential to transform lives and communities.

Personal Experiences:
Kamen’s inspirations stem from personal experiences, including his father’s engineering work and his own fascination with science and technology.

Solving Real-World Problems:
Kamen’s inventions are driven by a desire to solve real-world problems and make a positive impact on society.

Collaboration and Innovation:
Kamen emphasizes the importance of collaboration and innovation in advancing technology and addressing global challenges.

Path to Discovery:
Dean Kamen’s dislike for being told what to do and his preference for understanding the purpose behind actions shaped his perspective on education and work. He realized that school focused on superficial knowledge rather than deep understanding, which sparked his curiosity about the fundamental concepts of the world.

Fascination with the World:
Kamen’s curiosity about natural phenomena, such as the behavior of hot cocoa, bouncing balls, and gyroscopes, led him to question the underlying principles that govern the world.

Einstein’s Influence:
Kamen was inspired by Einstein’s statement that the world’s comprehensibility to deep thinkers is incomprehensible. He realized that textbooks provided limited understanding, prompting him to delve into original works by Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Euclid, and Archimedes.

Aspirations:
Kamen resolved to study physics and mathematics, the languages of the universe, to develop skills that would enable him to solve important problems. He recognized healthcare as an area where he could make a meaningful impact by alleviating pain and suffering.

Path to Success:
Kamen’s passion for learning and problem-solving led him to pursue a career in science and engineering. He focused on addressing unmet human needs and finding innovative solutions to old problems. His dedication and success in this pursuit have been evident throughout his career.

Influential Teachers:
Dean Kamen credits his mother, a high school teacher, as the primary influence in his educational journey. Despite not meeting her standards, she supported his pursuit of knowledge beyond the curriculum. Throughout his education, he found teachers willing to mentor him on subjects he struggled with. These teachers saw his earnestness and desire to learn, providing guidance and insights that fostered his skill development.

Inspiration from Inventors:
The Wright brothers’ invention of a controlled heavier-than-air flying machine fascinated Kamen. However, he was more captivated by their perseverance and dedication to solving a seemingly impossible problem. He admired their resilience in overcoming numerous setbacks and their unwavering belief in their vision. Kamen drew inspiration from their example, recognizing the importance of persistence and determination in the pursuit of innovation.

Dean Kamen’s Admiration for the Wright Brothers:
Dean Kamen expressed great admiration for the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, who achieved remarkable feats in aviation despite being historically underestimated. He emphasized their imaginative, intuitive, and focused approach, combined with hard work and observation, which led them to demonstrate exceptional engineering skills and craftsmanship. Kamen sees the Wright brothers as role models for inventors, exemplifying perseverance and dedication in overcoming challenges to achieve success.

Kamen’s Long-Standing Passion for STEM Education:
For over 30 years, Dean Kamen has been actively involved in promoting STEM education and advocating for its importance. He has consistently communicated his concerns to government leaders, corporate executives, university leaders, and teachers across the country.

Challenges in STEM Education:
Kamen acknowledges the challenges often discussed by employers and leaders regarding the state of STEM education. He has repeatedly highlighted the same issues for more than three decades, indicating a lack of significant progress in addressing these challenges.

Kamen’s Consistent Message to Stakeholders:
Kamen emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to STEM education that involves collaboration among government, corporations, universities, and teachers. He stresses the importance of empowering teachers with the necessary resources and training to effectively engage students in STEM subjects. Kamen advocates for creating a culture of innovation and problem-solving, where students are encouraged to take risks and learn from failures.

Kamen’s Belief in the Potential of Students:
Dean Kamen expresses his faith in the potential of students, asserting that they can achieve remarkable things if provided with the right opportunities and support. He believes that STEM education should focus on developing students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills, which are essential for success in the 21st century.

Culture Crisis:
Kamen argues that we have a culture crisis, not an education crisis, as we have great schools and teachers. Our culture places too much emphasis on entertainment and sports, which results in a lack of celebration for people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Sports and Entertainment:
Kamen points out that we have created a culture where superheroes and role models are from the world of sports and entertainment. This culture influences particularly women and minorities to believe that their future lies in these fields, leading to a lack of interest in STEM careers.

Lack of Encouragement in STEM:
Kamen emphasizes the need for promoting STEM careers to young people, especially women and minorities, as they have a greater possibility of success in these fields compared to sports or entertainment. He criticizes the lack of encouragement and information provided to kids about the exciting opportunities and job prospects available in STEM.

Filling in the Missing Pieces:
Kamen believes in leveraging what already works and filling in the missing pieces to achieve progress. He highlights the example of creating Segway by integrating existing technologies rather than reinventing everything.

FIRST: Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology:
Kamen explains the motivation behind starting FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) 30 years ago. He aimed to create a sport that would compete with other sports for kids’ hearts and minds, but with the unique feature that every kid could turn pro in this sport. Kamen wanted FIRST to inspire kids and make them recognize the importance of science and technology.

Dean Kamen’s Vision:
Kamen believed that involving industry leaders and role models in science and technology education could inspire young people, particularly underrepresented groups, to pursue careers in these fields. He aimed to create a sport-like environment around science and technology, providing opportunities for teams to compete and showcase their talents.

Growth of FIRST:
FIRST began with a small number of teams and quickly grew to include thousands of teams worldwide. By last year, FIRST involved approximately 80,000 teams, representing nearly every country and engaging over a million kids directly.

Addressing Diversity and Equity Issues:
Kamen emphasized the need to address diversity and equity issues in science and technology education from a young age. He believes that starting early and providing opportunities for skill development can help create a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the future.

Impact of Technology on Jobs:
Kamen highlighted the changing job landscape due to technological advancements. He pointed out that many boring, dangerous, and manual labor jobs have been replaced by machines and robots, making it crucial for young people to develop skills for a tech-driven future.

FIRST’s Approach:
FIRST focuses on making science and technology fun and inspiring for young people. It provides a platform for students to engage in hands-on projects, collaborate with peers, and showcase their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

Krista McAuliffe’s Inspiration:
Kamen acknowledged the inspiration that educators like Krista McAuliffe have provided in promoting science and technology education. He recognized the efforts of FIRST teams in continuing McAuliffe’s legacy of inspiring young minds.

Connection with the McAuliffe Family:
Dean Kamen’s relationship with the McAuliffe family began when Krista McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire, was selected as the first teacher to go to space. Kamen’s parents witnessed the Challenger disaster, where McAuliffe tragically lost her life.

Creating a Commemorative Coin:
Kamen envisioned creating a commemorative silver dollar honoring Krista McAuliffe and promoting FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The coin would feature McAuliffe’s portrait on the front and a scene of her with students on the back, along with the famous quote “I touch the future. I teach.” The proceeds from the coin sales would support FIRST and its mission to inspire young people in STEM.

Initial Challenges:
Kamen initially faced resistance from Washington in his efforts to get legislation passed for the commemorative coin. Despite repeated attempts in 1990, 2000, and 2010, he was unsuccessful in securing the necessary support.

Success through Community Support:
In 2018, Kamen mobilized the FIRST community to write to their representatives, garnering the necessary support for the commemorative coin legislation. The coin was finally approved and produced, with its release scheduled for 2021. Kamen encourages everyone to order the coin within the limited minting period, as it is a beautiful and valuable keepsake honoring teachers and FIRST.