Archive
Teens invited to submit original films for local festival
The Fayette Youth Film Festival is seeking short films made by teens, age 19 or under.
Selected films will be screened at the group’s first ever film festival, taking place July 31, 2015. Finalists will be eligible for internships, cash prizes, and even an appearance in a feature film.
To qualify, a film must be five minutes or less, must have been made after January 2014, and must contain only PG-rated content.
The registration page provides more detail on the judging criteria and categories.
The regular submission deadline is June 13. Fees for entry increase after that, with the final submission deadline set at July 11. Entry fees range from $20 to $40 per film.
Merit-based scholarships for high school
Exceptional seventh grade students are invited to apply for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship that pays high-school tuition.
Students who are selected as CDB Scholars are notified in the fall of their 8th grade year. The Institute for Educational Advancement guides the scholars and their families in applying to high schools that would help the scholars realize their academic potential. Finally, IEA pays for tuition for all four years of high school.
The application, which is rather involved, must be submitted by April 21, 2015. In order to be considered for this scholarship, a student must take the SAT. The last SAT date for this year is May 2, and you must register for that testing date by April 6.
7th graders called to apply for scholarships that last through high school
High-achieving, seventh-grade students whose families have limited incomes are encouraged to apply for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars program. Applications are being accepted through April 14, 2015.
The Young Scholars program offers advisement and financial support from eighth grade through the end of high school. The scholarship pays for enrichment activities — such as summer camps, music lessons, and distance learning classes — for students who are academically solid and financially challenged. (Wondering what “financially challenged” means? Applicants must have adjusted family income of $95,000 or less, and the Foundation reports that the average family income of its scholars is $30,000 a year.)
Students must apply during their seventh-grade year. Those selected enter the program in eighth grade and continue as Young Scholars through high school. The Young Scholars program also is a pathway to the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship program, which provides $40,000 per year for college.
The application package requires tax forms and teacher recommendations, so give yourself time to get everything together.
See FIRST LEGO League in action
If you’ve ever wondered what FIRST LEGO League teams do, or whether the program might be a good fit for your child, take them with you to see the top Georgia FIRST LEGO League teams compete in super-regional tournaments this month. Dates and locations for the competitions are:
- Jan. 10: Clayton State University in Atlanta, Clark Creek Elementary in Acworth, and Columbus State University in Columbus
- Jan. 17: Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville, Athens Academy in Athens
- Jan. 24: Starbase Robins in Warner Robins
The teams, made up of students ages 9 to 14, have spent the fall working together to build working robots from a LEGO robotics kit.
Space Camp scholarships available
Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., will soon begin accepting applications for its 2015 scholarship program. Full scholarships cover tuition, room and board for any week-long program, which includes Space Camp, Aviation Challenge, or Robotics summer camps.
Scholarships are awarded in four categories, one of which is academic achievement. Participation in a gifted program qualifies a student to apply in that category.
To apply, a student must be in 4th to 12th grade. Application deadline is Dec. 15, 2014, but the application process is rather involved, so if you’re interested, get started.
LEGO robotics team seeking sixth-grade girls
A newly formed FIRST LEGO League Robotics team in Buckhead / Sandy Springs / Dunwoody is looking for three or four sixth-grade girls to join the team. Together, this team of girls will learn teamwork, programming, and problem solving.
Prior LEGO experience is appreciated, but not required. The team will meet once a week, on Saturdays or Sundays (depending on team members’ schedules), through November. If the team does well in its fall competition, the season could stretch into early 2015.
This particular team is sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, so team members must either be active in Girl Scouts or be willing to join Girl Scouts. (They need not join or participate in a troop, but must pay a membership fee.) Total cost for Girl Scout membership, team fees and team T-shirt will be around $90.
For more information about the team, e-mail Ann, the team leader, at District13Robotics-at-gmail-dot-com (e-mail deconstructed to prevent spam; you put it back together). She needs to turn in her roster soon, so if you think your daughter may be interested, contact her this week.
Full college scholarships for high-achieving, low-income students
High-achieving students should have the chance to attend one of the country’s best colleges, regardless of their family’s financial situation.
That’s the principle behind the QuestBridge National College Match program, which seeks to send excellent students from low-income homes to elite colleges. Students choose their top schools from among more than 30 highly respected universities, including Amherst, Dartmouth, Brown, Emory, MIT, Princeton and Stanford. The schools review the applicants, and if a match is made, the student will receive a full scholarship. If a match isn’t made, the student will still be considered by all participating universities and may receive significant financial aid.
The application deadline is Sept. 26, 2014, and the application process is pretty involved, so don’t wait if this program is a fit for a high-school senior you know.
Teen film festival seeks submissions
I just received a message from the team creating the High Museum of Art’s upcoming Reel Riot Film Festival, a showcase of films made by high-school students.
They’re accepting submissions from teen filmmakers through July 7, 2014. (I’m thinking that doesn’t leave enough time to create a new film, but if your budding director has something in the can, here’s a chance for them to be seen by a wider audience.)
Each entrant can submit up to three pieces.
The selected films will be shown at the High on July 31 at 9 p.m. The festival will be free and open to the public.
Science competition encourages study of natural world
Students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to take part in the Young Naturalist Awards, a science fair of sorts sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Participating students conduct research on a scientific topic of their choice and submit an essay about their research and findings. The winners receive cash awards.
The competition is open to all students, regardless of whether they are in public, private or home school. The rules state that students can work together on a project, so long as they write their essays individually. Sounds like it could be a viable project for a science class to do in small groups.
Entries must be submitted between Dec. 1, 2013, and March 1, 2014.
Application now available for Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program offers funds — up to $30,000 a year — to support the college ambitions of high-achieving students with financial need.
The scholarship, which can be renewed for up to four years, is available to students who have high-school GPAs of 3.5 or higher and have scored in the top 15 percent on the SAT or ACT.
According to the foundation’s web site, students whose families make up to $95,000 a year will be considered; however, most of the recipients will have family income low enough to qualify for a Pell Grant.
The first part of the application process is open now. The Phase I application must be mailed in by November 5, 2013. Financial information, school records and teacher recommendations are required for the application, so allow yourself time to compile and complete the needed paperwork.
Gifted Atlanta 