Following is a list of contests, scholarships, and internships for students organized by application deadline. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
December 1. Essay Contest.
The U.S. Committee for UNICEF is sponsoring the first annual UNICEF/USA Kids Speak for Kids Essay Contest. Essays of no more than 200 words should be submitted on the following topic: “Imagine that you are a journalist. Write an essay that expresses your opinion on what can be done to end exploitative child labor.” Grand prizes are awarded in two grade-level categories: 4-5 and 6-8. The winner from each will visit the United Nations, be honored at a U.N. ceremony, and serve as a U.S. Committee for UNICEF National Youth Ambassador for one year. For entry forms and contest guidelines, contact: U.S. Committee for UNICEF, 333 E. 38th St., New York, NY 10016; (800) FOR-KIDS; http://www.unicefusa.org.
December 1. Science-By-Mail.
The Boston Museum of Science offers Science-by-Mail, a program that pairs students in grades 4-9 with scientist pen pals who help the youngsters complete hands-on experiments and other activities. Membership costs $49 for groups of up to four children and $294 for an entire class. Contact: Science-by-Mail, Museum of Science, Science Park, Boston, MA 02114-1099; (800) 729-3300; e-mail sbm@a1.mos.org.
December 5. Fire Sprinklers.
High school seniors nationwide are invited to write an essay for the American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship Contest. Essays should run between 700 and 1,000 words and address the topic, “How fire sprinklers affect your community.” Seven regional winners each receive a $750 scholarship. One first-place national winner receives an additional $2,500 scholarship, one second-place national winner receives an additional $1,500 scholarship, and one third-place national winner gets an additional $750 scholarship. Contact: Scholarship Contest, American Fire Sprinkler Association, 12959 Jupiter Rd., Suite 142, Dallas, TX 75238; (214) 349-5965; fax (214) 343-8898; http://www.firesprinkler.org.
December 5. Writing And Art.
Weekly Reader Corp. seeks entries for its Read magazine Writing and Art Awards. Students in grades 6-12 are eligible to win in three categories: two-dimensional artwork; essays; and fiction. Cash prizes include: $100 for first place in the art category and $225 for first place in the essay and fiction categories. Contact: Read Writing and Art Awards, Weekly Reader Corp., 200 First Stamford Pl., P.O. Box 120023, Stamford, CT 06912-0023; (203) 705-3449.
December 12. Leadership.
Schools are invited to nominate one high school senior for the Principal’s Leadership Award, funded by Herff Jones Inc. and administered by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The nominees from each school receive a certificate of merit and are considered semifinalists for one of 150 $1,000 scholarships. 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; http://www.nassp.org/
December 12. Poetry.
Read magazine announces its Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Prize. Students in grades 6-12 may submit up to three typed poems. Entries should be no longer than one page. Six national winners receive $100, a medal of honor, and publication in an all-student issue of Read. Six semifinalists receive $50, a certificate, and the possibility of being published. For guidelines and entry coupons, contact: Bowler Poetry Contest, Weekly Reader Corp., 200 First Stamford Pl., P.O. Box 120023, Stamford, CT 06912-0023; (203) 705-3406.
*December 15. Engineering Essays.
Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., is sponsoring a national essay contest designed to encourage high school students to explore science and engineering. Students are asked to write a 1,000-word essay on an engineering problem. Prizes will be awarded to four winners, one from each high school grade level. For more information, contact: Mark McLaughlin at Trinity College at (860) 297-2139; e-mail mark. mclaughlin@trincoll.edu; http://www.trincoll.edu/engincon/essay.html.
December 15. Radio.
Earth and Sky Radio, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, invites students in grades K-12 to enter its fourth annual Young Producers Contest. To enter, teams of students write and record a radio show on a science or nature topic of their choice. Five winners will be chosen for broadcast on the Earth and Sky Radio series. Members of the grand-prize winning team will receive $1,000 U.S. savings bonds; members of the four other finalist teams will get $500 U.S. savings bonds. For more information, contact: Earth and Sky; (512) 480-8773; e-mail contest@earthsky.com; http://www.earthsky.com.
December 31. Mural Contest.
The Bureau for At-Risk Youth offers its fourth annual Outdoor Prevention Mural Contest, designed to support community-based drug prevention. Schools enter a proposal for an outdoor mural. An artist travels to the winning school to help create the mural, and it is featured on the cover of the fall Bureau for At-Risk Youth catalog. For more information, contact: Bureau for At-Risk Youth, 135 Dupont St., P.O. Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803-0760; (800) 999-6884, ext. 211; http://www.at-risk.com.
January 10. Language Arts.
The National Council of Teachers of English is accepting nominations for its 1998 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 10. Space.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, in conjunction with the National Science Teachers Association, sponsors five competitions for grades 3-12 through the Space Science Student Involvement Program. The contests are designed to encourage students to incorporate science, math, technology, and art into science exploration. Students and teachers win trips to NASA centers, internships with NASA scientists, space camp scholarships, medals, ribbons, certificates, and recognition at the National Space Science Symposium in Washington, D.C. For more information, contact: SSSIP, National Science Teachers Association, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000; (703) 243-7100; fax (703) 522-5413/6295; http://www.nsta.org/programs.
January 14. Batteries.
Students in grades 7-12 are eligible to design and build working devices powered by Duracell batteries for the Annual Duracell/NSTA Scholarship Competition. There are two categories: grades 7-9 and 10-12. Students may enter individually or in teams of two. Fifty winners in each category receive savings bonds ranging from $200 to $20,000. First- and second-place winners, their parents, and their teacher/sponsors are flown to attend awards events at the NSTA National Convention in Las Vegas in April 1998. 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 Scholarship Competition, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000; (888) 255-4242; http://www.nsta.org/programs/duracell.shtml.
*January 30. Architecture Design.
The New Jersey Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture sponsors the 1998 National Architecture Design Competition for High School Students. Participating students design a branch library for their hometown. The top prize is a five-year scholarship to NJIT’s School of Architecture. Second prize is a five-year, half-tuition scholarship; four third-prize winners receive $250 cash awards. For more information and an entry form, contact: Craig Konyk, Competition Coordinator, School of Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102-1982; (201) 596-3080; fax (201) 596-8296; e-mail soacomp@hertz.njit.edu.
*February 2. Business Plan.
An Income of Her Own, a nonprofit economic-literacy network, invites 13- to 19-year-old girls and women to create their own business plan for the 1997-98 National Business Plan Competition for Teen Women. Five winners receive an expenses-paid trip to a major U.S. city for an awards ceremony and a women’s business conference. Contact: (800) 350-2978 for an application, (800) 350-1816 for more information.
*February 28. Web Pages.
Advanced Network and Services Inc., a not-for-profit organization that promotes the use of technology in education, sponsors ThinkQuest, an international contest that challenges students ages 12-19 to build educational World Wide Web sites that are interactive teaching and learning tools. Winners and their teachers and schools receive scholarships and cash awards totaling more than $1 million. To receive a CD-ROM and further details about the contest, contact: Advanced Network and Services Inc. at http://www.advanced.org/thinkquest.
--Julie Hope Kaufman
