• Wright Brothers' Competition
• Chemagination!
• NC Student Academy of Science
• Model Rocket Competition
• Young Scientist Challenge Semifinalists

Wright Brothers' First in Flight Competition!
The North Carolina Space Grant Consortium and The Science House are pleased to announce a series of month competitions for K-12 students across the state. These competitions will celebrate the accomplishments of Orville and Wilbur Wright during this centennial year of flight. A different monthly competition is available for students to enter from August through February. Prizes will be awarded at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Visit the web site - http://www.science-house.org/student/wrightflight/ - for more information and details!

Chemagination
Chemagination is a essay and poster contest for high school students and is an outstanding opportunity for area high school teachers and students.  More information can be found on our website at http://chemistry.org/chemagination.

NC Student Academy of Science

The North Carolina Student Academy of Science is a student research organization that provides opportunities for students who are doing investigative projects in the areas of science, mathematics, engineering, or technology to present their research to a group of their peers and professional researchers. Students present oral presentations before experts in their field of the research and get feedback on their work, and they compete for awards including trips to scientific meetings.

Middle school and high school students who are doing research projects are invited to participate. A statewide competition will be held in the spring of 2004. To receive information on joining the Student Academy and find out how to contact your regional directors, students and teachers can email warshaw@ncssm.edu

This year the NCSAS competition is being held in coordination with the State Science Fair. Students who compete on Friday April 30, in the Science Fair at Meredith College, are encouraged to spend an extra night and participate in the Student Academy competition at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics the next day.

Model Rocket Contest

The Aerospace Industries Association and National Association of Rocketry have decided to sponsor their national model rocket contest again.

In its first year, the Challenge attracted over 9000 students that competed on 873 teams from every state in the U.S., making it the world’s largest rocket contest. This year’s contest is expected to be even bigger and include both high school and middle school teams!

Students are challenged to design, build, and fly a model rocket carrying two raw eggs as close as possible to a specific altitude. One hundred of the best teams will compete in a fly-off at Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia, on May 15, 2004. The winning student teams will share a total prize pool worth over $50,000!
Information about the 2003 event is located at www.rocketcontest.org. Detailed information about the 2004 competition including the rules and an application will be available on September 2, 2003.

Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge Semifinalists!

The following North Carolina students are among 400 semifinalists in the US in the Young Scientist Challenge. In October, 40 finalists receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC for the competition finals, consisting of a series of team challenges and oral presentations. The winners receive scholarships and semifinalists receive prizes.

DDIA Center of Achievement, Fayetteville
Ian Taylor Helfrich, 5th grade
A Game of Puff-Puff Leapfrog: A Study of Turbulence in Fluids Resting in Vortex Leapfrogging

Greensboro Montessori School, Greensboro
William Christopher Ruhm, 5th grade
Bicycle Speed and Distance

Hanes Middle School, Winston Salem
Sarah Ann McManus, 8th grade
Pretty Peas with Sugar on Top: The Effect of Different Methods of Trehalose Application on Soybean Drought Tolerance

Piney Creek Elementary School, Piney Creek
Whitney Danielle Greene, 8th grade
The Effects of Beaver Impoundments When Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates as Biological Indicators of Stream Health

Wendell GT Magnet Elementary School, Wendell
Emily Kathleen Williams, 5th grade
Can We Prepare for a Drought?

Wintergreen Intermediate School, Greenville
Walter Jacob Kleckley, 5th grade
The Impact of Color (Wavelengths) and Time of Exposure on Heat Generated at a Focal Point of a Solar Furnace

 The Finals
The 40 finalists come to Washington, DC for a week in October. Each day students working in teams participate in different "challenges" developed and administered by Steve Jacobs, science educator and creator of "Jake's Attic." Each age-appropriate challenge concentrates on a different discipline of science. Many of the activities take place at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. While working in teams, finalists are judged on communication and leadership, as well as scientific problem solving. The finalists then present their original science fair project to the judges and other finalists. Contest winners are be selected on the basis of scores developed in Washington, DC from their oral presentations (30%) and their participation in the team challenges (70%).
 
Prizes
At the nominee stage, students receive:

• Lapel pins
• Certificates
• Students who complete an entry booklet will receive a T-shirt.
   

At the semi-finalist stage, students receive:

• Certificate of recognition
• A small prize
• Small teacher prizes

At the finalist stage in Washington, DC, students receive:

• Trip to Washington, DC with all the trimmings
• Special Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge shirt
• $50 gift certificate valid at any Discovery Channel Store, Discovery Channel Catalog, or discoverystore.com. (also valid at any The Nature Company Store or The Nature Company catalog)
• Chance to appear on television
• Plaque for the student's teacher
• Plaque for the student's middle school
• The Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge medal
  

At the winner stage, students receive scholarships:

1st place—$15,000 scholarship
2nd place—$7,500 scholarship
3rd place—$3,750 scholarship
4th-40th place—$500 scholarship