Archive
Toothpick bridge building contest for engineers of all ages
Does your child like to build? Here’s a chance for them to build their best bridge and see how it holds up compared to other structures built by kids, adults, even engineers.
The Toothpick Bridge Contest is open to all, and you can bet there will be some surprisingly strong entries from the sponsoring engineers — representing the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia.
Bridges in the traditional toothpick category may be built from only toothpicks and glue, while bridges entered in the open category can be made of any materials you choose. Entrants build their bridges ahead of time, then bring them to Fernbank Science Center in Decatur on Saturday, Feb. 25 for testing.
There is no need to register in advance, and there is no cost to participate. Admission to Fernbank is, as always, free.
One note: Don’t let your little engineers get too attached to their structures, as they will be tested to the point of failure (i.e., broken) during the contest.
Google invites inquisitive teens to enter second annual online science fair
If your teenager enjoys scientific investigation, Google Science Fair 2012 offers an opportunity to explore a question, come up with an answer, and possibly win a $50,000 scholarship (or other prizes).
The global, online science fair is open to students ages 13-18. They may work alone, or in groups of up to three members. Registration is open now. The contest closes April 1, 2012.
Kids in grades 5-8 invited to enter Young Scientist Challenge
Discovery Education and 3M are looking for kids in grades 5-8 with innovative ideas about how science can improve our world. The Young Scientist Challenge asks kids to create a short video about how science could help solve challenges in the areas of transportation, health or community. Entries are judged on creative thinking and knowledge of science, not on production value of the video.
The top 10 students will receive $1,000 and will travel to the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minn., to compete for the grand prize of $25,000. Other entrants will win travel vouchers, and one student from each U.S. state will be awarded the 3M Innovation Prize.
Entry deadline is April 19, 2012.
US FIRST turns LEGOs into lessons in technology and engineering
Another school year, another new season for US FIRST, a technology competition for kids ages 6-18. Teams compete in one of four divisions:
- Junior FIRST LEGO League, for ages 6-9 (grades K-3)
- FIRST LEGO League, for ages 9-14 (grades 4-8)
- FIRST Tech Challenge, for high school students
- FIRST Robotics Competition, for high school students
In the primary program, teams build structures from LEGO bricks. In the rest of the programs, kids design and build robots from LEGO products or kits.
Registration is open now for all but the robotics competition by visiting the US FIRST web site. (The robotics registration will open soon.)
Full scholarships to elite colleges for high achieving, low income students
For high-achieving students from low-income families, attending a top-tier college can feel completely out of reach. But it doesn’t have to be.
The National College Match program looks for students who have achieved excellence in school, and whose families face economic challenges. Then it matches those students with elite colleges that are prepared to offer full scholarships to these talented kids.
Participating schools include Amherst, Dartmouth, Brown, Emory, MIT, Princeton, Stanford and more — 31 highly respected universities in all.
High-school seniors are invited to apply now. The application deadline is Sept. 30, 2011, and the application process requires a good bit of documentation, along with three essays, so best to get started now. The good news? With just one application, students can be considered for scholarships to up to eight schools.
Future Problem Solvers — a challenging program for grades 4-12
It’s often been said that today’s school environment focuses too much on forced memorization of facts at the expense of teaching children the skills of analysis, synthesis, critical thinking and communication.
Whether you believe that or not, it’s certainly true that kids can benefit from more practice in these areas of complex problem solving. That’s the emphasis of the Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI), a competitive program for students in grades 4-12.
In Future Problem Solving, children focus in on one of several problems, all of which reflect real-world issues of today, or realistic scenarios that could emerge in the future. For example, topics might include aspects of ecology, medicine, social problems, crime or technology.
The kids conduct research, develop a list of problems and possible solutions, apply criteria to choose the best solution, and develop an action plan for their scenario. Teams write reports, which they submit to evaluators for review. The teams with the best work are invited to in-person competitions.
Generally, students participate in teams of up to four kids. The competition has three divisions: junior (grades 4-6), middle (7-9) and senior (10-12). Some competitive parts of the program will allow entries by individual students. A team can be affiliated with a school, but doesn’t have to be.
FPSP also includes a non-competitive program called Action Based Problem Solving. This is open to children in grades K-9, and allows teams of any size, which means it can be done as a classroom activity.
Registration is now open for Georgia FPSP. The Georgia affiliate will offer training for coaches in September.
Creative writing contest for grades 4-12
In December, I posted about the 2011 Torrance Legacy Awards competition, open to students in grades 2-12. I wanted to offer this reminder that submissions are due by August 15, 2011.
There are two categories: creative writing and visual arts. The writing contest will accept short stories (limited to 1,250 words) or poems; the visual arts contest will accept any 2D or 3D art. For either contest, works must be an interpretation of one of the following themes:
- Magic of adventure
- Serendipity
- Beyond the horizon
- Unexpected answers
- Nothing set in stone
- Creating solutions
Winners will have their work published in a collection.
The contest is sponsored by the National Association for Gifted Children, among others; however, children do not need to be enrolled in a gifted program to enter.
Clean Air Campaign comic strip contest for elementary school kids
If spring break boredom sets in for your child, here’s something they can try: The Georgia Clean Air Campaign is holding a comic strip contest for elementary school students (pre-K through 5th grade).
Students are asked to create a comic strip showing how everyday choices — such as using mass transit, riding a bike or combining car trips — can help reduce air pollution.
No big prizes here, but winners will be featured in Clean Air Campaign promotional materials, and each winner can choose a science, environmental or art program at their school to receive a donation.
Scholarship program to attend elite high schools
Parents of 7th graders: If your child is an exceptional and highly motivated student, you can apply for a scholarship that will pay for him or her to study at a top-tier high school.
The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship is a program of the Institute for Educational Advancement, aimed at helping elite students get the most out of their high-school experience.
Students who are selected as CDB Scholars are notified in the fall of their 8th grade year. Then, the organization provides guidance in applying to high schools that would help the scholars realize their intellectual potential. Finally, IEA pays for tuition for all four years of high school.
The application, which is rather involved, must be submitted by May 16, 2011. In order to be considered for this scholarship, a student must take the SAT. The last SAT date for this year is May 7, and you must register for that testing date by April 8.
Academic contest for 4th graders this Saturday
Gwinnett Place Mall will host an academic quiz competition for 4th graders this Saturday, March 12, 2011.
The Mega GoldenBell Academic Quiz is sponsored by Mega Mart. Contestants will be asked questions in a spelling-bee-style format, where a wrong answer results in elimination. The winner will receive a Nintendo DSI XL and a $500 donation to his or her school.
The contest is limited to 40 participants. To register your child, e-mail Kelly Zhao of Mega Mart.
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