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AIAA National Essay Contest

AIAA National Essay Contest. Samantha Infeld AIAA SSTC August 17, 2010. Concept. Last year the SSTC co-sponsored the annual 7-8 th grade essay contest in the SF section Traditionally topics on aerospace policy, history, or technology S everal other sections run or have run essay contests

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AIAA National Essay Contest

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  1. AIAA National Essay Contest Samantha Infeld AIAA SSTC August 17, 2010

  2. Concept • Last year the SSTC co-sponsored the annual 7-8th grade essay contest in the SF section • Traditionally topics on aerospace policy, history, or technology • Several other sections run or have run essay contests • Align and expand these contests to feed into SSTC-run national essay contest. • This year: involve at least committee-members’ local sections (probably 5-20 sections) • Next year: promote to all sections with evolved guidelines and rules • Future: co-sponsor national contest with other TCs, consistent private sponsor

  3. National Essay Award Benefits • Encourage technical writing capabilities at a vital development time by presenting technical problem to answer and support • Encourage local section connection with teachers and schools and contribution to STEM education Awards • 7th grade and 8th grade • $500 and Certificate • Student membership • May also pay for class field trip or STEM-related educational equipment if get sponsor (would name award for a long-term sponsor) • Need at least $2000 more to add this award • Post essay on AIAA website • Submit story and essays to Aerospace America • Each section do what they can for section-level awards (may differ between sections)

  4. Process Timeline • July/August: • National: Send essay question, national due date, other rules, guidelines, and resources to sections • Local: Receive essay question, national due date, other rules, guidelines, and resources from SSTC and confirm participation • August/September: • Local: Start promoting contest • February/March: • Local: Due date, judging, winners notified, winning essays forwarded to SSTC • April: • National: Judging, announcement of national winners, • Local: awards presented (can announce national winner(s) at local awards) • May: • National: Presentation/mailing of national award(s)

  5. Essay Guidelines • Qualifications • 7th or 8th grade living in section counties • Double-spaced, typewritten (size 12 font) essay in 1000 words or less. • Student name, teacher name, and school name must be written in the top right hand corner of the essay. • A summer mailing address is required for notification. Email-address also requested. • Mail or email to…(section PO box, K-12 officer) • Criteria • Originality of ideas presented • Soundness of logic used to develop ideas • Realism of ideas presented • Quality of composition and clarity of expression

  6. Essay Topic SSTC is enthusiastic to use their new charge to include CubeSats in committee activities Topic: Propose a space mission using a CubeSat. Include • where it would fly, • what data it would gather, • what type of instruments would be onboard to gather that data, • and the benefits expected for science, technology, or education.

  7. Resources for Sections • Promotion • Put contact name, phone, email on announcement • Encourage classroom visits by members to present CubeSats (try to bring one if you have a connection to a CubeSat project). • Section emails, newsletters, events • Targeted mail to Educator Associates • Principals • PTA officers • Supervisor of STEM for County or District Board of Education • STEM teacher organizations, teacher workshops • Museum education coordinators/directors • Judging • Collect essays in one file; if many (>50), discard entries that don’t meet qualifications • Recruit judges 1-2 months before due date • Hold a judging event at a home or coffeeshop or ? • Bring 1 hard copy of each essay, scoring matrices, and pencils for each judge • If many essays, may split them into groups to divide effort, but at least 2 judges per essay • May select top 3-5 scoring essays in 7th and 8th grade and discuss to come to consensus on winners

  8. Resources for Section • Awarding • Can choose to award 2nd, 3rd places and runner-ups, but send 1st place winners for both 7th and 8th grade to SSTC ASAP (samantha.infeld@gmail.com) • Ideas: certificates, checks, bonds, plaques, awards banquet, trip to a lab or science museum for their family or class • If award includes an event, notify winners early with an invitation to the event or to schedule the trip

  9. Judging Matrix

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