Following are application dates for student contests, scholarships, and internships. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
December 1 PEACE POSTER
Lions Clubs International invites students ages 11-13 to participate in its 1999-2000 Peace Poster Contest. Contestants submit a poster-created in pencil, crayon, pen, marker, paint, or chalk-depicting this year’s theme, “A New Beginning for Peace.” The grand-prize winner receives $2,500, plus an expenses-paid trip with two family members to attend an awards ceremony at the Lions Club International convention in Honolulu. Participating schools must be sponsored by a Lions Club. For more information, contact: Lions Clubs International, (800) 288-8846.
December 1 SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
Intel Corp. invites high school sen iors to compete for up to $1.2 million in scholarships and awards in its Science Talent Search. Students submit reports of science, math, or engineering research projects. Forty finalists are chosen for a week-long, expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Science Talent Institute. First-place finalist wins a $100,000, four-year scholarship; second- and third-place winners receive scholarships of $75,000 and $50,000, respectively. Each finalist also gets a laptop computer. Contact: Intel Science Talent Search, c/o Science Service, 1719 N St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (202) 785-2255; e-mail sciedu@sciserv.org; www.sciserv.org.
December 1 YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS
Young Playwrights Inc. invites students ages 18 and under to write original nonmusical plays for the Young Playwrights Festival. The festival aims to identify, develop, and encourage young playwrights to create new work for the theater. Several plays are accepted for production at the festival, and 10-12 students are invited to attend an intensive playwriting workshop in New York City. Contact: Young Playwrights Festival National Playwright Competition, 321 W. 44th St., Suite 906, New York, NY 10036; (212) 307-1140; fax (212) 307-1454; e-mail writeaplay@aol.com; www.youngplaywrights.org.
December 3 STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
EdPress, an independent professional association for educational publishers, announces the Distinguished Achievement Awards for Excellence in Student Publications, a national awards program that recognizes outstanding student publishing. Entries are judged according to editorial and design principles. Up to four finalists are selected in each of four categories-newsletters, newspapers, magazines, and online publications-to receive a $500 award, plus $500 in educational materials and a classroom visit from a professional editor. Winners are presented at the EdPress Distinguished Achievement Awards banquet in June at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Contact: EdPress, (609) 256-4610; e-mail edpress@aol.com; www.EdPress.com.
*December 10 TEEN ACTIVISM
React magazine and the New World Foundation announce the fourth annual React Take Action Awards. Winners are selected based on their contributions to their communities, nation, and/or the world. Applicants must be 12-18 years old and not yet have entered college. The five top winners each receive $20,000 college scholarships; $1,000 college scholarships go to each of 10 additional finalists, and $500 each to ten honorable-mention winners. For more information, contact: React Take Ac tion Awards, React, 711 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017; www.react.com.
December 15 COMPUTER ARTS
Imation Corp., a worldwide supplier for the information and image-management industry, invites high school students to participate in its Third Annual Imation Computer Arts Scholarship Program, which honors students’ original works of computer-generated art. Public and private high schools of up to 1,000 students can nominate one piece of artwork for consideration; schools of more than 1,000 students can nominate two pieces. The top 100 entries receive National Certificates of Excellence, and 25 national finalists each receive a $1,000 scholarship, a medallion, and a trip with a parent, guardian, or school representative to Minneapolis/St. Paul in April for the recognition events. Contact: Jacqueline Berry, (888) 466-3456; fax (651) 704-3892; www.imation.com.
December 15 RADIO
Earth and Sky Radio, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, invites K-12 students to enter its annual Young Producers Contest. Teams of students write and record a 90-second radio show on a science or nature topic of their choice. Five shows are chosen for broadcast on the Earth and Sky Radio series. Members of the grand-prize winning team receive $1,000 U.S. savings bonds; members of the four other fin alist teams get $500 U.S. savings bonds. For more information, contact: Young Producers Contest, P.O. Box 2203, Austin, TX 78768; (512) 480-8773; fax (512) 477-4474; e-mail contest@earthsky.com; www.earthsky.com.
*December 17 LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE
The Library of Congress Center for the Book and the Weekly Reader Corp. invite students to enter Letters About Literature 2000, an essay contest. Students write a letter to an author-living or dead-explaining how the author’s work changed their thinking about the world. The contest has two categories: grades 4-7 and 8-12. Five national finalists at each age level receive $100. State affiliates of the center also present cash awards to top essayists. Contact: Weekly Reader Corp., 200 First Stamford Pl., Stamford, CT 06912-0023; (203) 705-3500; www.weeklyreader.com.
December 31 ESSAYS
Stein Roe Mutual Funds invites students in grades 5-7 to participate in its Young Investor Fund Essay Contest. The essays on the importance of money and investing are judged on content, writing style, and writing mechanics. First-, second-, and third-place winners are selected for each grade. First-place winners receive $5,000 in Young Investor Fund shares. Second- and third-place winners get $2,500 and $1,000 in shares, respectively. Contact: The Young Investor Fund Essay Contest, Stein Roe Mutual Funds, One S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606; (800) 403-KIDS.
*January MONETARY POLICY
Citibank and the Federal Reserve Bank System is sponsoring the 2000 Fed Challenge, a national economics competition for high school students. Teams of students work with a teacher to recommend a monetary policy for the United States. Teams are judged on formal presentations made before Federal Reserve officials. Regional winning teams receive $4,000 scholarships for each student and teacher, plus an $11,000 grant for the team’s school. The national winning team receives $10,000 scholarships for each student and teacher, plus a $40,000 grant to set up a school economics laboratory. Winning students are offered internships at Citibank. Deadlines vary. Contact: Fed Challenge, (877) 333-2454; www.ny.frb.org/pihome/educator/fedchal.htm l.
*January 10 LANGUAGE ARTS
The National Council of Teachers of English is accepting nominations for its 2000 Promising Young Writers Program. Eighth grade language arts teachers are encouraged to nominate students and submit examples of their best written work. Winning students receive a certificate of recognition. The council charges a $5 nomination fee per student. For more information, contact: Promising Young Writers Program, National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801-1096.
*January 12 INVENTIONS
Students in grades 6-12 are invited to design and build devices powered by Duracell batteries for the annual Duracell/National Science Teachers Association Invention Challenge. There are two categories: grades 6-9 and 10-12. Students may enter individually or in teams of two. Fifty winners in each category receive savings bonds worth between $500 and $20,000. First- and second-place winners, their parents, and their teacher/sponsors are flown to awards events at the NSTA convention in Orlando, Fla., in April. Teachers of the six top prize winners each receive $2,000 gift certificates for computers and accessories, and nearly 100 other teachers also win awards. For more information, contact: Duracell/NSTA Invention Challenge, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000; (888) 255-4242; www.nsta.org/programs/duracell.
*January 15 WEB PAGES
Advanced Network and Services Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes technology in education, sponsors ThinkQuest Junior, an international contest that challenges students in grades 4-6 to build educational Web sites that are interactive learning tools. More than $250,000 is awarded to winning students, teachers, and schools. Contact: Advanced Network and Services Inc.; www.thinkquest.org.
*January 26 PEACE
The United States Institute of Peace announces the National Peace Essay Contest for students in grades 9-12. Students examine the U.S. response to the changing nature of international conflict. First-place winners from each state receive $1,000 college scholarships and compete for national awards of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 for first, second, and third place, respectively. First-place state winners are also invited to attend an expenses-paid awards program in Washington, D.C., in June. For more information, contact: United States Institute of Peace, 1200 17th St. N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 429-3854; e-mail essay--contest@usip.org; www.usip.org/ed.html.
*January 28 NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
The National Honor Society and the National Association of Secondary School Principals award 250 scholarships of $1,000 each. Society chapters nominate two senior chapter members who have shown outstanding character, earned good grades, performed community service, and demonstrated strong leadership skills. For more information, contact: National Association of Secondary School Principals, Department of Student Activities, 1904 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1537; (703) 860-0200; fax (703) 476-5432; e-mail dsa@nassp.org; www.nassp.org.
*January 31 CIVICS
Lutheran Brotherhood sponsors the RespecTeen Speak for Yourself Contest for students in grades 7 and 8. Contestants research a national issue and write a letter about it to their U.S. representatives. A panel of educators chooses a winner from each participating congressional district to receive a $50 savings bond. State winners also are selected and receive an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. For more information, contact: Lutheran Brotherhood, (888) 376-1876; www.RespecTeen.org.
January 31 WATER
EcoWater Systems, a manufacturer of commercial and residential water systems, invites students in grades 6-8 to enter its World of Water Contest. To participate, students create a public-service advertisement that encourages the conservation and protection of the water supply. One winner is selected in each grade at local, regional, and national levels. Three national winners receive $500 each; 15 regional winners collect $100 each. Teachers of the national winners receive $1,500 for class supplies or to pay travel expenses for the National Science Teachers Association convention in Orlando, Fla. The winning advertisements are distributed among local media. Call (800) 86-WATER.
*February 1 WRITING CONTEST
Fulcrum Publishing announces its 1999-2000 Kids Writing Contest, “Twisted Tales and Falsified Fables: Reader’s Theatre Folktales.” K-12 students are encouraged to submit a new ending to their favorite fairy tale in the form of a theater script. Winners will be published in a Fulcrum book. For more information, contact: Twisted Tales, Fulcrum Publishing, 350 Indiana St., Suite 350, Golden, CO 80401-5093; www.fulcrum-resources.com.
*February 2 TECHNOLOGY
Toshiba Corp., in conjunction with the National Science Teachers Association, seeks applicants for the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards. Teams of two to four K-12 students submit descriptions of technology as it might exist 20 years in the future. Each student on four first-place teams wins a $10,000 savings bond; students on the four second-place teams win $5,000 savings bonds. The teacher-advisers of the finalist teams and their schools win Toshiba equipment. Team members, their parents, and their advisers also win a trip to Washington, D.C., for the awards ceremony. For more information, contact: Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000; (800) 397-5679 or (703) 243-7100; e-mail exploravision@nsta.org; www.toshiba.com/tai/exploravision.
*February 12 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
The Horace Mann Co., an Illinois-based firm that sells insurance and retirement annuities to educators, invites college-bound high school seniors to apply for the Horace Mann Scholarship Program. For students to be eligible, their parents or legal guardians must be employed by a U.S. public school or college. Eligible students also must have a B average and a score of at least 23 on the ACT or at least 1100 on the SAT. Sixteen awards are given: one $20,000 scholarship, five $4,000 scholarships, and ten $1,000 scholarships. For more information, contact: Horace Mann Companies, Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 20490, Springfield, IL 62708-0001; (217) 789-2500; www.horacemann.com.
*February 15 ART AND POETRY
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, the Library of Congress Center for the Book, and International Rivers Network announce the fifth annual River of Words International Environmental Poetry and Art Contest. K-12 students are encouraged to submit poetry or art with watershed themes. The contest is designed to build community awareness and support of watershed protection. Winners are chosen in four age categories in both poetry and art. One international winner and eight national grand-prize winners and their parents are honored at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. For more information, contact: IRN, Attn: ROW Contest, P.O. Box 4000-J, Berkeley, CA 94704; (510) 433-7020; fax (510) 848-1008; e-mail row@irn.org; www.irn.org.
*February 15 CHEMISTRY SCHOLARSHIPS
The American Chemical Society Scholars Program invites African American, Hispanic, and Native American high school seniors and college undergraduates to apply for scholarships of up to $2,500. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States and must demonstrate financial need. They also must be high achievers in chemistry or other chemical sciences, and they must intend to major in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, or a chemical-related science in preparation for a career in the chemical sciences or chemical technology. For more information, contact: Robert Hughes, American Chemical Society Scholars Program, 1155 16th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (800) 227-5558, ext. 6250; www.acs.org/minorityaffairs/scholars.html.
*February 15 TRAVEL
EF Educational Tours announces the EF Global Citizen Awards, a scholarship program for high school juniors. Ten U.S. students and two Canadian students each receive a $1,000 scholarship and a 10-day, expenses-paid educational tour of Europe. Applicants must be nominated by their schools and write an essay about what it means to be a global citizen. For more information, contact: Global Citizen Program, EF Educational Tours, EF Center Boston, One Education St., Cambridge, MA 02141-1883; (800) 637-8222; e-mail scholarships@ef.com; www.eftours.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 enter cartoons that are judged on clarity, originality, and knowledge of the subject. First-, second-, and third-place winners are named in three categories: K-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Winners receive savings bonds, and the top 100 cartoons are featured in the forthcoming book Editorial Cartoons by Kids, 2000. For more information, contact: Knowledge Unlimited, NewsCurrents Editorial Cartoon Contest, P.O. Box 52, Madison, WI 53701; (800) 356-2303; www.knowledgeunlimited.com.
*March 17 AWARDS PROGRAM
The National Association of Secondary School Principals runs the National Association of Student Councils/National Organization on Disability Awards Program, a competition designed to recognize student councils that have worked to involve those with disabilities in student activities. One middle or junior high school and one senior high school each receive a $500 award. The competition is supported by J.C. Penney Co. and the National Organization on Disability. For information, contact: NASSP, Department of Student Activities-NASC/NOD, 1904 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1537; (703) 860-0200, ext. 325; fax (703) 476-5432; e-mail dsa@nassp.org; www.nassp.org.
-Karen L. Abercrombie And Jennifer Pricola
