Teacher Resources - Student Programs & Competitions

“Each of these programs have specific application due dates.  Teachers should review the guidelines associated with each program to determine the timeline.”

Upcoming Deadlines (see below for additional information):

Disney’s Planet Challenge
Disney’s Planet Challenge is a project-based environmental competition for elementary and middle school (grades 3-8)classrooms developed in collaboration with NSTA and the WestEd K-12 Alliance. Classrooms are empowered to make a difference in their homes, schools, or communities and compete for a trip to Disneyland ,classroom grants, Disney DVDs, student eco-friendly prize packs and more. Disney’s Planet Challenge also provides matching grants through Donors Choose for classrooms participating in this program. Disney’s Planet Challenge is a great way to get students involved with their environment in a fun and creative way. Visit the competition website to register now. Registration closes December 23.
  
The DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition
The DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition is a student competition that invites seventh through 12th grade students to write a 700 to 1,000-word essay about a scientific discovery, theory, event or technological application that has captured their interest. Developed in collaboration with The Walt Disney World Resort, NASA and NSTA, the competition offers young students the opportunity to explore science, develop new skills and gain confidence in communicating scientific ideas. Created to honor the Challenger astronauts, students can win savings bonds up to $5,000, and a trip to Walt Disney World and to the Kennedy Space Center .Teachers win too! Along with the trips with their students, teachers can also win $500 grants. To learn more about the competition, check out the website. Entries will be accepted from October 15 until January 31.

Mars Education Challenge
The Mars Education Challenge is a nationwide competition that calls on high school science educators to develop new and innovative curricula that focuses on Mars science and exploration. $17,500 in cash prizes are awarded annually, including a $5,000 grand prize. Registration closes December 16, 2011 and curricula support materials submissions are due January 16,2012. More information, including entry details, curricular requirements, and detailed prizing information for the Mars Education Challenge, can be found on the competition website.

Shell Science Lab Challenge
The Shell Science Lab Challenge, a program of NSTA, encourages teachers (grades 6-12) in the U.S. and Canada ,who have found innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences with limited school and laboratory resources, to share their approaches for a chance to win a school science lab makeover support package valued at $20,000. Teachers and schools submitting top entries will receive additional laboratory tools, resources and rich professional development opportunities. $93,000 in prizes are awarded annually. Applications are due October21, 2011. For more information about the Challenge, visit the program website.

Siemens We Can Change the WorldChallenge
K-12 students have the opportunity to become “Agents of Change” as they team up with their classmates to create replicable solutions to environmental issues in their classroom, school and community. Student and teacher/mentor prizes, which vary according to grade level, include savings bonds, school grants, exciting trips, and much more. Applications are now being accepted. The deadline for entries is March 15, 2012 (finalists and winners will be announced in April 2012). For more information about the Challenge or to register for the competition, visit the website.
  
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
ExploraVision is a competition that encourages K-12students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of a future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. Teams of two to four students research scientific principles and current technologies as the basis for deigning innovative technologies that could exist in 20 years. Students compete for up to $240,000 in savings bonds for college and cool gifts from Toshiba. First- and second-place teams also receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor and coach to Washington , D.C. for a gala awards weekend in June 2012. Applications are now being accepted; the deadline for applications is February 1. In an ExploraVision first, the teachers who submit the largest number of qualified student projects this year will receive a Toshiba tablet PC. For more information about the program or to learn how to apply, visit the competition website.

Pennsylvania Specific Programs and Competitions

Interested in Science Fairs in Pennsylvania? Please contact the appropriate person for your region.

Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair
Mr. Timothy Ritter
web site: http://www.whitakercenter.org/CASEF.html
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
225 Market Street
2nd Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-799-5130
Coverage Area:  Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill including Northern York School District and Red Land High School in the West Shore School District of York County
Fair Dates:  February 29 - March 3, 2012

Delaware Valley Science Fairs, Inc.
Mr. Henry Disston
web site: http://www.dvsf.org
Drexel University
236 Randell Hall
3141 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-895-5840
Coverage Area: Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, Lehigh, and Northampton
Fair Dates: April 3 -5, 2012

North Museum Science and Engineering Fair
Mr. Jim Ringlein
web site: http://www.northmuseum.org/ScienceFair/tabid/221/Default. aspx
North Museum of Natural History and Science
400 College Ave.
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-291-4077
Coverage Area: Lancaster County including Elizabethtown, Mount Joy and Columbia
Fair Dates: March 27 -29, 2012

Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Mrs. Lisa Kosick
web site: http://pittsburghsciencefair.org
Carnegie Science Center
One Allegheny Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
412-237-1534
Coverage Area: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Union, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland
Fair Dates: March 30 - 31, 2012

Reading and Berks Science and Engineering Fair
Mr. Mike Gerhart
web site: http://www.resef.org
130 S. Robeson St.
Robesonia, PA 19551
610-693-5321
Coverage Area: Berks County
Fair Dates: March 11-15, 2012

York County Science and Engineering Fair
Mr. Rodney Martin
web site:  http://ycsef.org/YCSEF?Home.html
1416 N. George St.
York, PA 17404
717-475-1054
Coverage Area: York County except Northern York School District and Red Land High School
Fair Dates: Contact Rodney Martin for information

Participate in the largest chemistry experiment ever during the International Year of Chemistry --
To help students from all over the globe understand that water is a precious resource that can't be taken for granted, The Dow Chemical Company is supporting The Global Water Experiment. Launched on World Water Day, The Global Water Experiment encourages teachers and students to participate in a global experiment allowing students to test the water where they live and interact with other students around the globe to share results. This will teach students about sustainable water management and the role that chemistry plays in purifying water for human consumption. The results will be showcased on an interactive global data map throughout the experiment, which runs throughout 2011.

NE PA Bridge Building Competition
Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Bridge Building Competition is an educational non-profit, incorporated and a registered Pennsylvania charitable organization and encourages all public and private schools in the northeast quadrant of Pennsylvania to select three students to represent their school in a unique educational experience. The northeast quadrant encompasses the area from the Delaware River to Galeton and from the New York border to Shenandoah.  For more information visit www.neparbdgblg.com

National Programs and Competitions

Disney’s Planet Challenge®
Fourth through sixth grade students have the opportunity to make a difference in their surroundings while using science, math, composition and problem-solving skills. Disney’s Planet Challenge has gone nationwide and now students across the country can participate! Registration is now open and students can win prizes, classroom grants, a trip to Disneyland® with their classmates, a chance to be on a TV show and much more! Teachers can use the Challenge with their lesson plans. Sample plans can be found on the website. Disney’s Planet Challenge is a great way to get students involved with their environment in a fun and creative way. Go to http://disney.go.com/planetchallenge/ to get started. Registration closes.

DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition
DuPont Challenge© Science Essay Competition gets students writing about science! Students in seventh through 12th grade research and write a 700 to 1,000-word essay about a scientific discovery, theory, event or technological application that has captured their interest. Created to honor the Challenger astronauts, students can win savings bonds up to $5,000, and a trip to Walt Disney World and to the Kennedy Space Center. Teachers win too! Along with the trips with their students, teachers can also win $500 grants. Students have the opportunity to be inspired, to be creative, and to tell a story in this essay about any scientific topic. Teachers can use this competition to motivate students to reach beyond themselves and push the limits! To learn more about the competition, check out the website at http://thechallenge.dupont.com. Entries will be accepted from.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
K-8 students have the opportunity to become “Agents of Change” as they team up with their classmates to create replicable solutions to environmental issues in their classroom, school and community. Student and teacher/mentor prizes, which vary according to grade level, include savings bonds, school grants, exciting trips, TV appearances and much more. Applications are now being accepted. For more information about the Challenge or to register for the competition, visit http://www.wecanchange.com.

Spirit of Innovation Awards
Sponsored by the Conrad Foundation, the Spirit of Innovation Awards is an annual competition that challenges teams of high school students to create innovative products for use in one of four categories: aerospace exploration, space nutrition, renewable energy and green schools. Teams and their coaches will compete for more than $100,000 in cash prizes; the opportunity to be designated as Pete Conrad Scholars and have the opportunity to commercialize their products for general market use; and annual memberships to the Conrad Foundation, Sigma Xi, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the National Science Teachers Association—the Foundation’s official education advisor. For more information about the program, visit http://www.conradawards.com.

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards Program
ExploraVision is a competition that makes science fun and exciting for students and gives educators an innovative way to present science topics in the classroom. This competition encourages K-12 students of any interest and ability levels to imagine a future technology using present day predicaments. Students can win up to $10,000 in savings bonds for college and cool gifts from Toshiba. Applications are now being accepted. For more information about the program or to learn how to apply, visit www.exploravision.org.

Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers
The Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program, one of the largest science teacher grant programs in the nation, and is now accepting entries for the 2009-2010 competition. Now in its 20th year, the program offers grants up to $10,000 to K-12 science teachers for innovative projects that enhance science education in their school and/or school district over a one-year period. For more information about the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program or to learn how to apply, visit http://www.nsta.org/pd/tapestry.