Education

For Your Students

March 01, 1998 11 min read
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Open. Television.

CNN Newsroom & WorldView, Turner Broadcasting’s news and features program for schools, airs student-produced videos. Students may submit reports of no more than two and a half minutes on any topic, although students are encouraged to focus on popular themes in education. Participation is open to all schools enrolled in the CNN Newsroom & WorldView program. For more information, contact: CNN Newsroom School Videos Program, 1 CNN Center, 10 South, Seventh Floor, North Tower, Atlanta, GA 30303; (800) 344-6219; learning.turner.com.

Open. Environmental Projects.

The Captain Planet Foundation, a philanthropy of the TBS network’s animated television series, promotes environmental activities for young people. The foundation provides grants of between $250 and $2,500 for hands-on projects that help children learn about environmental issues. Contact: Chrissy Sapp, Captain Planet Foundation, One CNN Center, 10 South, Atlanta, GA 30303; (404) 827-4130; www.turner.com/cpf.

March 1. Adventure.

Outside magazine is sponsoring the Outside Adventure grants. Teams of up to six students ages 12-17 are invited to submit proposals for the adventure or expedition of their dreams. A panel of explorers will judge how the ideas combine exploration, adventure, potential for success, and benefit to the natural world. One team will be selected to go on its proposed adventure. Team members will keep journals and take photographs that will be posted on-line. A free guide for teachers is available for how to use this program in classrooms and schools. For more information, contact: John Alderman, Outside magazine, (212) 972-4650; e-mail jalderman@outsidemag.com.

March 1. Cartoons.

NewsCurrents, a weekly current events program produced for schools by Knowledge Unlimited Inc., announces the NewsCurrents Student Editorial Cartoon Contest. Students in grades K-12 are invited to create a cartoon that will be judged on the basis of clarity, originality, and knowledge of the subject. First-, second-, and third-place winners will be named in three categories: K-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Winners will receive savings bonds, and the top 100 cartoons will be featured in the forthcoming book Editorial Cartoons By Kids, 1998. Contact: Knowledge Unlimited, NewsCurrents Editorial Cartoon Contest, P.O. Box 52, Madison, WI 53701; (800) 356-2303.

March 1. Epilepsy Scholarship.

Parke-Davis, a national pharmaceutical company, invites nominations for the 1998 Parke-Davis Epilepsy Scholarship for college-bound high school seniors. Nominees must have a record of academic and extracurricular excellence and must be undergoing treatment by a physician for epilepsy. Fourteen $3,000 scholarships will be awarded. Contact: Parke-Davis Epilepsy Scholarship Award, c/o IntraMed Educational Group, 1633 Broadway, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10019; (800) 292-7373.

March 1. Letters About Literature.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Weekly Reader Corp. invite students to enter Letters About Literature ‘98, an essay contest. Students write a letter to an author—living or dead—explaining how the author’s work changed their views of the world. The contest has two categories: grades 4-7 and 8-12. The winning essayist in each category receives a $1,000 savings bond. Twenty-two state affiliates of the Center for the Book also present cash awards to the top essayists in their state. To receive a copy of the contest guidelines and entry coupons, contact: Weekly Reader Corp., 200 First Stamford Pl., Stamford, CT 06912-0023; (203) 705-3500.

*March 2. Knock Knock.

U.S. students up to 12 years of age are invited to participate in the Dixie Cups Knock Knock Joke Contest, sponsored by Fort James Corp., a marketer and manufacturer of consumer products, packaging, and writing paper. Students can enter more than one joke, but each must be written on a separate sheet of paper. One grand-prize winner receives a trip to New York City with an adult guardian and a teacher. The winner will also tell the joke at Comedy Nation Restaurant in New York. Teachers who submit jokes for their classes can get lesson plans on healthy habits that reduce the spread of germs. For more information, contact: Dixie Cups Knock Knock Joke Contest, 625 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60611; e-mail mdunn@bsmg.org.

March 15. Handwriting.

Peterson Directed Handwriting is sponsoring the National Cursive Handwriting Contest for students in grades 3-8. One winner from each grade receives a $50 U.S. savings bond and a framed certificate. All entries judged excellent are elected to the National Cursive Handwriting Honor Society and are awarded a certificate. Contestant writing samples should contain at least four lines of writing. Grade 3 entries may be in pencil; entries from grades 4-8 must be in ink. Entries are judged on such characteristics as letter formation, forward slant, size, and spacing. For an entry form and more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Peterson Handwriting, P.O. Box 249, Greensburg, PA 15601. Entry requests can also be sent by fax to (412) 836-4110. For more information, go to www.peterson-handwriting.com.

March 19. Inventions.

The National Science Teachers Association and Sears, Roebuck and Co. have launched the second annual Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program. This program aims to encourage students in grades 4-6 to use their imaginations and creativity to design, build, or modify a tool. Twelve regional winners each will receive a $5,000 U.S. savings bond; the national winner will be awarded an additional $5,000 U.S. savings bond. Contact: Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000; (888) 494-4994; e-mail www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman.htm.

March 21. Underage Drinking.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving announces various contests on the theme, “Stand Strong, Stay Sober.” The MADD poster contest is open to children in grades 1-12. Children in grades 4-12 are eligible for the essay contest; entries should be about 250 words and written in English or Spanish. The black-and-white photography contest is open to students in grades 7-12. The public-service advertisement video contest is also open to students in grades 7-12; videos must be 30 seconds long and be accompanied by an audiotape. Work must be original and done by a single student; no joint efforts will be accepted. The four contests are subdivided into a total of 11 grade categories; national first-place winners are named in each and receive a $1,000 U.S. savings bond and an expenses-paid trip to an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Also, the 11 second-place winners each receive a $500 U.S. savings bond, while the 11 third-place winners receive a $250 U.S. savings bond. Contact: MADD National Office, Programs Department, 511 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700, Irving, TX 75062; (214) 744-6233.

March 31. CyberFair.

Cisco Systems, GTE, and the Global SchoolNet Foundation sponsor the International Schools CyberFair ‘98. K-12 students participate by creating Web sites about their community. School-generated sites in eight different categories—including local leaders, history, music, art, business, and environment—are evaluated by students using a Web tool developed by Global SchoolNet. All schools receive recognition and prizes for their participation. To participate, a teacher or administrator must register by February 28. Call (760) 721-2972 or go to www.gsn.org/cf.

*April 1. Automotive Scholarships.

The National Hot Rod Association, in conjunction with Sears Craftsman and Racerz Sports Shoe Co., invites high school seniors to apply for scholarships. The Sears Craftsman program awards 21 scholarships of $1,000 each. The Racerz Legends of Drag Racing High School program awards seven scholarships of $300 each. Preference is given to students planning a career in the technological, industrial, or marketing fields of the automotive industry. Applicants must be high school seniors graduating from public, private, or parochial high schools between January 1 and June 30. For more information, contact: Pat Talaska, Program Manager, National Hot Rod Association Youth and Education Services, 2035 Financial Way, Glendora, CA 91741; (626) 963-7695, ext. 364.

*April 1. Community Service.

The Computer Learning Foundation sponsors the Adopt-a-Community Group Merit Competition. To enter, students work with a nonprofit community group and build a Web site to highlight the group’s mission and work. Two teams of students win the grand prize: an Apple Power Macintosh computer and Microsoft software for their schools. Two additional teams win second prize: a Cisco Micro Webserver for their schools; three third-place teams win software for their schools. For more information, contact: Computer Learning Foundation, Dept. CT97, P.O. Box 60007, Palo Alto, CA 94306-0007; www.computerlearning.org.

April 1. Essay Contest.

The Ayn Rand Institute sponsors an essay contest for high school freshmen and sophomores on Rand’s novella Anthem. The best essayist receives a $1,000 award. Ten second-prize winners receive $200 each; 20 third-prize winners receive $100 each. Essays must run between 600 and 1,200 words and focus on one of three topics chosen by the institute. For more information, contact: Anthem Essay Contest, Ayn Rand Institute, P.O. Box 6099, Inglewood, CA 90312; www.aynrand.org/contests.

*April 1. Investing.

The Coalition of Black Investors is sponsoring a K-12 essay contest to stress the need for African Americans to save and invest. Essays of no more than two pages should answer the question: “Why should we save money?” First-, second-, and third-prize winners are named in three grade categories: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. A $100 savings bond is awarded as the top prize in the K-5 category, a $150 savings bond in the 6-8 category, and a $200 savings bond in the 9-12 category. Second prize in each category is a $50 savings bond, and third prize is a copy of An Introduction to Business for African American Youth, by Abner McWhorter. For more information, contact: Carol Davis, Coalition of Black Investors Student Essay Contest, P.O. Box 30553, Winston-Salem, NC 27130-0553; (910) 922-6240; e-mail mailto:cobinvest@aol.com.

April 1. Service Award.

The Hitachi Foundation, a nonprofit and philanthropic organization, seeks nominations for the 1998 Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community. The award recognizes high school seniors who have distinguished records of community leadership and service. As many as 11 winners will receive $5,000 each and participate in an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.; roughly five finalists each receive $1,000. For more information, contact: Yoshiyama Award, P.O. Box 19247, Washington, DC 20036-9247; (202) 457-0588.

*April 15. Ayn Rand Contest.

High school juniors and seniors are invited by the Ayn Rand Institute to enter an essay contest on Rand’s novel The Fountainhead. One first-prize winner receives a $10,000 award. Five second-prize winners receive $2,000 each, and 10 third-prize winners receive $1,000 each. The 800- to 1,600-word essay must focus on one of three topics specified by the institute. For more information, contact: Fountainhead Essay Contest, Ayn Rand Institute, P.O. Box 6004, Inglewood, CA 90312; www.aynrand.org/contests.

April 15. High School Fund Raisers.

The Future Business Leaders of America and the Association of Fund Raisers and Direct Sellers have established the Actions Speak National Scholarship Program. One $5,000 college scholarship and four $1,000 scholarships are awarded to graduating high school seniors. Applicants submit a description of a fund-raising project, an official transcript of high school grades, and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must be members of a local FBLA chapter. For more information, contact: Actions Speak, c/o FBLA, 1912 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191; (703) 860-3334.

*April 15. Software Contest.

Pierian Spring Software announces its third annual student project contest. This year’s contest will recognize K-12 students for their creative work with Digital Chisel 3, new software for creating and publishing multimedia projects and interactive Web pages. One first-place winner receives a $1,000 savings bond. Five second-place winners each receive a Pierian Spring Software product for the school of their choice and a Pierian Spring Software product for their own use. Ten third-place winners each receive a five-user pack of any Pierian Spring Software product for the school of their choice. For more information, contact: Pierian Spring Software, 5200 S.W. Macadam, Suite 570, Portland, OR 97201; e-mail info@pierian.com; (800) 472-8578.

*May 1. Publishing.

Landmark Editions Inc. announces the 1997 National “Written and Illustrated by ...” Awards Contest for Students. Youngsters may enter their original books in one of three age categories: 6-9, 10-13, or 14-19. One winner from each category is awarded a publishing contract; winners receive an expenses-paid trip to the Landmark offices in Kansas City, Mo., where the staff will assist in the final preparation of their text and illustrations. Authors are paid royalties annually on sales. Entry fee: $1. For guidelines, send a self-addressed, business-size envelope with 52 cents postage to: 1998 NWIB Awards Contest, c/o Landmark Editions Inc., P.O. Box 270169, Kansas City, MO 64127.

—Julie Hope Kaufman

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