Following are application dates for student contests, scholarships, and internships. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
January-March ART AND WRITING The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards honor students currently enrolled in grades 7-12, recognizing approximately 50,000 regional winners. Nationally, 1,100 students’ individual works receive Pinnacle, Gold, or Silver Awards in each of 16 art and eight writing categories. High school seniors may also submit a body of art or writing for Portfolio Awards. In June, national award recipients are honored at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Corcoran Gallery features the winning art. Scholastic annually bestows nearly $250,000 in cash awards on the national and regional levels. In addition, seniors who submit portfolios compete for scholarships from more than 40 institutions and organizations totaling $1.5 million. Deadlines vary depending on regions. Contact: Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012; (212) 343-6493; e- mail A&WGeneralInfo@Scholastic.com; www.scholastic.com/artandwriting.
*January 10 LANGUAGE ARTS The National Council of Teachers of English accepts nominations for its 2002 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; www.ncte.org/grants.
January 11 SCHOLARSHIPS High school juniors with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale are encouraged to apply for the Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship, to be used toward any type of post-high school education or training. Sponsored by Discover Card, in cooperation with the American Association for School Administrators, the award recognizes students who have excelled in areas beyond academics. Up to nine state and national prizes are awarded at $2,500 and $25,000, respectively. Contact: Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarship, AASA, P.O. Box 9338, Arlington, VA 22219; (703) 875-0728; fax (703) 841-1543; e-mail info@aasa.org.
January 14 ANIMAL PROTECTION The Fund for Animals, a national animal protection organization, sponsors the National Humane Essay Contest. Elementary school students answer the question “How does an animal who is caught in a steel-jaw leg-hold trap feel?” in 100 words or fewer (grades 3-4) or 200 words or fewer (grades 5-6). Older students address the following situation: “You have found out that your father is planning to give your mother a fur coat for her birthday. What arguments would you use to persuade them to choose a gift that did not require the suffering and death of animals?” Students in grades 7-9 write 500 words or fewer; 10th-12th graders respond in no more than 1,500 words. In each age group, first-prize winners receive a $100 U.S. savings bond, and second-prize winners receive a $50 U.S. savings bond. Background material on fur and trapping may be obtained from the fund. For more information, contact: National Humane Essay Contest, Fund for Animals, 8121 Georgia Ave., Suite 301, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 585-2591; fax (301) 585-2595; e-mail fundinfo@fund.org.
January 15 POETRY The Weekly Reader Corp. requests submissions for the 14th annual Bowler Poetry Prize, sponsored by its literary magazine READ and the family of Ann Arlys Bowler in memory of the young poet. Students in grades 6-12 are asked to “reflect on a time when you felt intensely alive” and write a poem. Six winners have their poems published in READ, and each receives $100 and a medal of honor. Semifinalists receive $50 and a certificate of excellence; they also have their poems published on the READ Web site. For more information, contact: Jennifer Kroll, Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest, READ, 200 First Stamford Pl., Stamford, CT 06912-0023; (203) 705-3499; e-mail jkroll@weeklyreader.com; www.weeklyreader.com/read.
January 23 PEACE The United States Institute of Peace announces the National Peace Essay Contest for students in grades 9-12. Applicants examine the role of the military in international peacekeeping operations. 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 25 NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY The National Honor Society and the National Association of Secondary School Principals award 200 scholarships of $1,000. Society chapters nominate two senior members who have shown outstanding character, earned good grades, performed community service, and demonstrated strong leadership skills. For more information, contact: Wanda Carroll, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Department of Student Activities, 1904 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1537; (703) 860-0200, ext. 252; fax (703) 476-5432; e-mail dsa@nassp.org; www. nassp.org.
January 31 COMMUNITY The Bayer Corp. and the National Science Foundation encourage teams of three to four students in grades 6-8 to identify a problem in their community and come up with an innovative solution for the Bayer/NSF Award. Ten finalist teams each receive a $250 grant and an expenses-paid, weeklong trip to Walt Disney World, where winners are selected. Three teams split $36,000 in saving bonds; one of these earns an additional $25,000 grant from the Columbus Foundation to develop their idea in the community. For more information, call (800) 291-6020, or visit www.bayernsfaward.com.
January 31 FUTURE TEACHERS Phi Delta Kappa International offers Scholarship Grants for current high school seniors whose intended college major is education. Thirty-three prospective educator prizes are awarded: three top prizes ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 and 30 $1,000 gifts. Applicants are judged on academic standing, essays, letters of recommendation, and school and community activities. Contact: Phi Delta Kappa International, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789; (800) 766-1156; fax (812) 339-0018; e-mail headquarters@pdkintl.org; www.pdkintl.org/studser/sschol. htm.
*February ECONOMICS The Federal Reserve Bank System, in collaboration with Citibank, presents the 2002 Fed Challenge, a national economics competition for high school students. Teams of five students work with a teacher to recommend a monetary policy for the United States. Teams are judged on formal presentations before Federal Reserve officials. The national winning team receives $5,000 scholarships for each student and teacher plus a $10,000 grant to set up a school economics laboratory. Three national finalist teams receive $2,000 scholarships for each student and teacher plus a $3,000 grant for the teams’ schools. Deadlines vary. For more information, contact: Robert Diamant, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 33 Liberty St., New York, NY 10045-0001; (877) 333-2454; e-mail robert.diamant@ny.frb.org; www.ny.frb.org/pihome/educator/fedchal.html.
*February 1 AMERICAN HISTORY The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution offers a scholarship to a high school senior planning a college major in American history. The American History Scholarship is an award of $2,000 each year for up to four years with annual transcript review by the national chairman required for renewal. Second- and third-place awards of $1,000 each year for up to four years may be given as funds are available. Students must be sponsored by local DAR chapters, which set their own eligibility standards. For more information, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Office of the Committees and Scholarships, 1776 D St. N.W., Washington, DC 20006; (202) 628-1776.
February 1 BOOKS ON TAPE Students in grades 5-12 have the chance to hear their writing read professionally when they enter the Books on Tape Challenge. The contest, which has no set topic or word limit, encourages students to write an original piece about anything of importance to them; they also may submit a school assignment. All entrants receive a certificate of achievement. One winner from each grade has his or her work recorded by a professional Books on Tape narrator and gets a portable compact disc player. Teachers are encouraged to submit their students’ work. For more information, contact: Shawn Elliott, Books on Tape Inc., P.O. Box 7900, Newport Beach, CA 92658; (800) 541-5525, ext. 326; www.school.booksontape.com.
*February 4 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 consider the impact of science and technology on society and how innovative thinking can change 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 8 YOUNG COMPOSERS BMI, a nonprofit American performing rights organization, and the BMI Foundation present the 50th annual Student Composer Award Competition. Students who enter their original music are eligible for a total of $20,000 in cash awards, each ranging from $500 to $5,000. There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style, or length of work submitted. Participants must be citizens of countries in the Western Hemisphere and under 26 years of age on December 31, 2001. Contact Ralph N. Jackson, Director, BMI Student Composer Awards, 320 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019; e-mail classical@bmi.com; www.bmi.com.
*February 12 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. Applicants must have a B average and a score of at least 23 on the ACT or at least 1100 on the SAT. Thirty-one awards are given: one $20,000 scholarship, 10 $4,000 scholarships, and 20 $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 Co-founded by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass and Berkeley writer Pamela Michael and affiliated with the Library of Congress Center for the Book, River of Words announces the sixth annual International Environmental Poetry and Art Contest. K-12 students are encouraged to submit poetry or art on the theme of watersheds. The contest is designed to build community awareness and support of watershed protection while helping youth to develop a greater sense of connection to their homeground. Poetry is accepted in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Two- dimensional art is accepted in all media. 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. Contact: River of Words, P.O. Box 4000-J, Berkeley, CA 94704; (510) 548-POEM; fax (510) 548-2095; e-mail info@riverofwords.org; www.riverofwords.org.
*February 15 CHEMISTRY 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 $3,000. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States and 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 other chemical-related sciences in preparation for careers in the chemical sciences or chemical technology. For more information, contact: American Chemical Society Scholars Program, Department of Diversity Affairs, 1155 16th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (800) 227-5558, ext. 6250; e-mail scholars@acs.org; www.acs.org/minorityaffairs/scholars.htm.
*February 15 ENVIRONMENT Zero Population Growth’s Teacher’s PET Project, an educational resource about global population, sponsors the “And Now, a Word From Our Planet . . . ” contest, which challenges students to be spokespeople for earth. Students in grades 6-12 write 30-second radio ads that educate listeners about the connection between human population pressures and the environment. Students should focus their scripts on one of the following topics: global warming, habitat loss, pollution, or shortages. First-place prizes of $1,000 and second-place prizes of $500 are awarded in three grade categories: 6-8, 9-10, and 11-12. All winning entries are professionally produced to air on radio stations. Entries should demonstrate a clear understanding of the issue and are judged on originality, creativity, and entertainment. Contact: A Word From Our Planet, Teachers’ PET Project, 1400 16th St. N.W., Suite 320, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 332-2200; fax (202) 332-2302; www.awordfromourplanet.org.
*February 15 TRAVEL EF Educational Tours announces the EF Global Citizen Awards, a scholarship program for college-bound high school seniors. 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 essays in response to the topic: “Since the events of September 11, how has your perspective as a global citizen changed? Moving forward, what can you do to make sure that the international community remains open and accessible for people of all nations and cultures?” For more information, contact: Global Citizen Program, EF Educational Tours, EF Center Boston, One Education St., Cambridge, MA 02141-1883; (617) 619-1591; e-mail scholarships@ef.com; www.eftours.com/globalcitizen.
—Sarah Wassner
