Following are application dates for student contests, scholarships, and internships. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
Open CARING The Caring Institute seeks nominations of students 18 years old and younger who demonstrate extraordinary compassion, caring, and selflessness. Five winners each receive a $2,000 college scholarship, an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and a place in the Hall of Fame for Caring Americans. For more information, contact: Nicole Bumpus, Caring Institute, 320 A St. N.E., Washington, DC 20002; (202) 547-4273; e-mail inquiries@ caring-institute.org; www.caring- institute.org.
Open COMMUNITY SERVICE The Prudential Insurance Company of America, in partnership with Youth Service America and the Center for Creative Leadership, presents the Youth Leadership Institute to give teenagers hands-on experience in facilitating a community project. Administered by the Points of Light Foundation with trainers in more than 48 states, the program is open to high school students who demonstrate leadership potential in their community. Participants complete 30 hours of curriculum work and community service projects that they choose, create, and implement. For more information, contact: Laura Raine, Points of Light Foundation, 1400 I St. N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 729-8000; e- mail lraine@pointsoflight.org; www.pyli.org.
Open CREATIVITY Creative Kids magazine, a product of Prufrock Press, publisher of literature to support the education of gifted children, requests submissions from students ages 8 to 14. Original cartoons, songs, stories of 800 to 900 words, puzzles, photographs, artwork, games, activities, editorials, poetry, and plays all are accepted. Teachers or students submit work labeled with the child’s name, birth date, grade, school, and home address. Students whose materials are selected for publication receive a free copy of the Creative Kids issue in which their work appears. Contact: Submissions Editor, Creative Kids, P.O. Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813; (800) 998-2208; www.prufrock.com/mag_ck.html.
Open ENVIRONMENT Greentimes, an environmental newspaper written by and for kids, welcomes students’ stories and ideas for publication. For more information, contact: Elizabeth Gilmore, Greentimes, 55 Reservoir St., Cambridge, MA 02138; (617) 868-5760; habitat@greenscreen.org; www.greenscreen.org.
Open HISTORY The Concord Review, the only quarterly journal to publish secondary students’ academic work, accepts student essays on any historical topic. Essays should be approximately 5,000 words plus endnotes. They also must be accompanied by an entry form, which is available on the Review’s Web site, and a check for $40. Submissions chosen for publication are eligible for the Emerson Prize, a $3,000 award. For more information, contact: Concord Review, 730 Boston Post Rd., Suite 24, Sudbury, MA 01776; (800) 331-5007 or (978) 443-0022; e-mail fitzhugh@ tcr.org; www.tcr.org.
Open PEN PALS World Pen Pals promotes international friendship and cultural understanding among young people around the world. Students in 5th grade through college are invited to request an overseas pen pal. Teachers may request a brochure on class participation. For more information, contact: World Pen Pals, P.O. Box 337, Saugerties, NY 12477; (845) 246-7828; www.world-pen-pals.com.
Open TELEVISION CNN Student News, Turner Broadcasting’s news and features program for schools, airs student-produced videos. Students may submit reports of no more than two- and-a-half minutes on any topic, though they are encouraged to focus on CNN’s monthly themes. Participation is open to schools enrolled in the CNN Student News classroom program and the Student Bureau journalism program. The two-part application is available online. For more information, contact: CNN Student News, 1 CNN Center, P.O. Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348-5366; (800) 344-6219; www.cnnstudentnews.com.
June 1 ARTS The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts honors graduating high school seniors or artists who are 17 and 18 years old through the Arts Recognition and Talent Search. The foundation acknowledges talent in visual arts, film and video, dance, theater, writing, photography, and music composition and performance. Winners receive scholarships ranging from $100 to $3,000 and the chance to be named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. In addition, three $25,000 cash awards are given to winners in voice, jazz, and music. The NFAA selects 125 students to take an expenses-paid trip to Miami for Arts Week, which includes performances, interviews, master classes, and group projects. Students applying by June 1 pay a $30 entry fee; those applying after that but before October 1 pay $40. Entrants submit slides of their artwork, audio or videotapes of performances, or writing samples. For more information, contact: Arts Recognition and Talent Search, 800 Brickell Ave., Suite 500, Miami, FL 33131; (800) 970-2787; e-mail info@ nfaa.org; www.artsawards.org.
June 1 CREATIVITY Creative Kids magazine, a product of Prufrock Press, publisher of literature to support the education of gifted children, announces contests for students ages 8 to 14. Submissions to the art contest address the theme “America the Beautiful” with any kind of vertical artwork and include an explanation of how the art shows love for America. First-place winners chosen in two categories, black and white and color, each receive an artist’s set. Applicants to the cooking contest send their faorite recipe for food or something inedible but fun, a photo of the creation, and a statement from a teacher that the recipe was completed. The first-place winner receives a baking kit. Second- and third-place winners in both contests receive Creative Kids T-shirts. All entries should include the student’s name, address, birth date, grade, a statement of originality from an adult, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. For more information, contact: Creative Kids magazine, Contests, P.O. Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813; (800) 998-2208; www.prufrock.com/mag_ck.html.
June 1 PATRIOTISM Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge seeks entries for two essay contests for middle and high school students. Specific topics for the military essay contest vary, but students should focus on the themes of patriotism and responsible citizenship. Applicants for the youth essay contest should reflect on “the Bill of Rights and what it means to me.” All essays should be typed and run 500 to 1,000 words. Each contest honors one meritorious award recipient with a $100 U.S. savings bond and a George Washington honor plaque; one middle school student and one high school student in each contest receive a $50 U.S. savings bond and an honor ribbon. All entries receive an official Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge certificate. For more information, contact: Carolyn Hallman, Director of Awards, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, 1601 Valley Forge Rd., Valley Forge, PA 19482; (610) 933-8825, ext. 234; fax (610) 935-0522; e-mail challman@ ffvf.org; www.ffvf.org.
June 1 PEACE The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, an international educational organization, announces the theme for the 2002 Swackhamer Peace Essay Contest: “What policies should the U.S. government establish to significantly limit and end the use of weapons of mass destruction?” High school students should submit essays of no more than 1,500 words. Essays are judged on subject knowledge, originality of ideas, development of point of view, insight, clarity, organization, and grammar. The first-, second-, and third-place winners receive $1,500, $1,000, and $500, respectively. For more information, contact: Swackhamer Peace Essay Contest, PMB 121, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, 1187 Coast Village Rd., Suite 1, Santa Barbara, CA 93108-2794; e-mail wagingpeace@ napf.org; www.wagingpeace.org.
June 5 SCIENCE FAIR Discovery Communications Inc., in partnership with Science Service, encourages students in grades 5-8 to participate in the fourth annual Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. Students who enter Science Service-affiliated regional or state science fairs are eligible; judges at these fairs nominate individuals for the contest. Forty finalists win a trip to Washington, D.C., for the competition held at the Smithsonian Institution and other locations. One top winner receives a $15,000 scholarship; second- and third-place winners earn $7,500 and $3,750, respectively. Contact: Michele Glidden, 1719 N St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036-2888; (202) 785-2255; e-mail sciedu@sciserve. org; www.discoveryschool.com/ sciencefaircentral/dysc.
June 20 PUBLISHING The Skipping Stones Youth Honor Awards recognize students ages 7 to 17 for their contributions to multicultural awareness, peace and nonviolence, social responsibility, and nature and ecology. The 2002 themes are “The Internet’s Impact on Multicultural Issues,” “World Wide Web of Nature: Technology and the Web of Life,” and “http://hip/or hype?” Ten articles, poems, and photos that illustrate these themes are selected for publication in Skipping Stones magazine. There is an entry fee of $3, which may be waived for low- income applicants. For more information, contact: Youth Honor Awards, Skipping Stones Magazine, P.O. Box 3939, Eugene, OR 97403-0939; (541) 342-4956; e-mail skipping@efn.org; www.efn.org/~skipping.
July 1 BOARDING SCHOOLS The Commonweal Foundation announces the Pathways to Success program, which awards scholarships to boarding schools, providing students the opportunity to increase their academic skills, gain work experience, and expand their knowledge of life beyond their local communities. Scholarships may be used at any Pathways Partner School and are determined on a case-by-case basis, not to exceed $4,000 per academic year. Funds are distributed directly to the schools. Any student who is new to the boarding school experience and entering grades 9- 12 may apply. Students must have potential for success in a regular or accelerated classroom setting, be willing to participate in work and community- service opportunities, and demonstrate financial need. Contact: Sharon Rubin, 10770 Columbia Pike, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20901; (301) 592-1316; fax (301) 592-1307; www.commonweal- foundation.org.
*July 1 LITERARY MAGAZINES The National Council of Teachers of English invites entries for its Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines. Magazines published between September 2001 and July 2002 by senior high, junior high, and middle school students are judged in state competitions. Magazines earn rankings of “highest award,” “superior,” “excellent,” and “above average” based on content quality, writing, editing, proofreading, design and art, cover, pagination, and production. Entry forms are available online, and a $25 entry fee is required. For more information, contact: Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines, National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801-1096; (800) 369-6283; www.ncte.org.
*July 1 ORATION Optimist International, a volunteer organization devoted to providing services for youth, announces it oratorical contest to inspire today’s youngsters to motivate and inform others through the art of public speaking. Interested students must prepare a speech on the topic “United We Stand in Optimism” and present it at their local Optimist Clubs. The speeches, which must be four to five minutes in length, are judged at the club, zone, and district levels. Club- level winners receive medallions; zone-level winners receive plaques; district- level winners receive plaques and college scholarships whose amounts vary depending on the district. For more information, contact: Optimist International, Programs Department, Oratorical Coordinator, 4494 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108; (800) 500-8130, ext. 224; fax (314) 371-6006; e-mail programs@optimist.org; www.optimist.org.
*July 1 POETRY The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, an international educational organization, welcomes submissions for the 2002 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Awards, an annual series of awards to encourage poets to explore and illuminate positive visions of peace and the human spirit. Awards include two youth prizes of $200 each, one for students ages 12 and under and one for ages 13 to 18, and an adult prize of $1,000. A committee of poets selected by the foundation chooses the winners, as well as honorable mentions, in each category. For more information, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Contest, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, PMB 121, 1187 Coast Village Rd., Suite 1, Santa Barbara, CA 93108-2794; e-mail wagingpeace@napf.org; www.wagingpeace.org/new/ programs/awardscontests/index.htm.
*July 31 ENVIRONMENT The Environmental Protection Agency, which is dedicated to protecting human health and the natural environment, sponsors the President’s Environmental Youth Award for individual K-12 students, school classes, summer camps, and other youth organizations. Participants submit applications and completed projects—such as recycling programs and videos, skits, or newspapers focused on environmental issues—to local EPA offices. Each student receives a signed certificate from President Bush, and one environmental project from each of 10 regional offices receives a plaque during an EPA award ceremony at the White House. Judges consider the projects’ long-term benefits, relevancy to current environmental needs, the amount of effort put toward its success, and other criteria. For more information, including contact information for regional coordinators, visit www.epa. gov/enviroed.
*August 15 BUSINESS PLANS Independent Means Inc., a company that produces programs and products promoting girls’ financial independence, invites 13- to 21-year-old young women to create their own business plans for the 2002 National Business Plan Competition for Young Women. Five winners receive $1,500, an opportunity to earn a scholarship to Babson College, and more. For more information, contact: Independent Means Inc., 126 Powers Ave., Santa Barbara, CA 93103; (805) 965-0475 or (800) 350- 1816; fax (805) 965-3148; e-mail contactus@independentmeans.com; www.independentmeans.com.
—Rose Gordon
