The Cracking the Codes in the Digital World program launched during Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds Week on March 22^nd. Time Warner Cable delivers cable television, high speed internet and telephone services across 28 states of the country and to 14.4 million customers. A program like Cracking the Codes in the Digital World helps students see the science and math behind their cable and internet service in a hands-on discovery program. They see first hand how Time Warner Cable employees use math, science and technology to do their jobs, out of the classroom and in a real working environment.

Time Warner Cable’s vice president of public affairs, Bonnie Hathaway, said “this brings our Connect a Million Minds initiative in-house, to engage our employees as role models and mentors. We believe that by connecting the technology that underlies our business to STEM standards in a fun and interesting way, it can be the spark that encourages students to pursue STEM-related education and careers.”

In the program, students will learn how the digital signal is created and then transmitted through various hands-on experiments. Students will learn inquiry-based STEM activities through real-world perspectives of how Time Warner Cable uses STEM daily.

Alaina Rutledge, the Core Curriculum and Programs Extension Manager for Invent Now, Inc., says that the Cracking the Codes in a Digital World program challenges participants to launch a mock television signal, create pixilated art and discover how high definition programming is created, and understand how their televisions at home receive the video.

Later this year, Time Warner Cable will also develop and release “Cracking the Codes in the High Speed World” and “Cracking the Codes in the Wireless World” in an effort to encourage the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists.

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWX) Challenges Students to “Crack the Code” was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The idea is simple. Purchase any product bearing the small Box Top logo, similar to a proof of purchase logo and after using the product, you cut off the coupon. Most of the product coupons are in the amount of $.10 but there plenty of other promotions such as Bonus Box Tops on participating products that vary in value. Coupons are collected by local schools and redeemed by the school’s coordinator in exchange for money for the school. There is also an online shopping site that allows you to shop online and still earn Box Top cash for your school.

Our local elementary school has been a participant of the Box Top for Education Program since 2002 and has, to date, raised close to $13,000 just for clipping the $.10 coupons. Truthfully, the hardest part is remembering to clip the coupon before recycling the trash. We keep a baggie on the refrigerator and as soon as we have few coupons, off to school they go. There is several large cardboard collection stations located in the hallways and my daughter gets a kick out of depositing her contribution once a month.

Obviously, schools hold various fundraisers throughout the year to help with increasing expenses but this particular program does not cost anyone a cent more than the cost of groceries you needed to buy anyway. I wasn’t aware of this program until my daughter started Kindergarten and often community members who don’t have any children or grandchildren in the local schools are not aware that they can still help out by saving their coupons and delivery them to the school. Local community groups can do the same. It’s a simple way to earn extra money for the kids.

According to the website, the program has grown enormously since its inception and every year, more and more “extras” are being added. The product list is also growing. You can download the entire product list at the Box Top for Education website http://www.boxtops4education.com/AboutBoxTops/Products.aspx. You can see that the coupons are found on common products you may have in your cabinet right now. Perhaps you have never noticed them before or weren’t sure what to do with them. You local school administration office will be able to tell you if the area school participates in the program. You can also check online to see if your local school is on-board.

Education is Tops was created by and is property of American Consumer News.