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Water, water everywhere but here in Arizona.
By Bridgette Crosby
Southeast Valley Ledger
Water, a vital resource for life in the desert, is the focus of the 2014 Scholastic Essay and Speech contest sponsored by the San Tan Valley Think Tank. Students from local high schools and middle schools in Pinal County are invited to participate in this annual contest in order to address a critical issue that the county will be facing in the near future.
Students will have the opportunity to research, write and speak about one of the most important questions facing our nation and our county: “How can STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) Provide Water as a Sustainable Resource in Pinal County into the Future?”
The San Tan Valley Think Tank Contest will also be a part of the Arizona SciTech Festival in February 2014. This is the first year that a speech component has been included in the contest, which the Think Tank believes will make the event more interesting and will give high school students a different platform to share ideas and explain concepts.
Deadline to enter the Essay Contest is set for December 23, 2013. The essay contest is open to both middle and high school students. High school and middle school students will be judged separately.
Deadline for Speech Contest is set at January 15, 2014.
The Speech Portion of the contest is open only to high school students. Contestants will be required to submit a YouTube Video of the speech for evaluation and must contact the San Tan Valley Think Tank for confirmation. Five contestants will be chosen to participate in the final Essay and Speech Contest Final Event.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to study, think about, conceptualize and propose solutions for important issues facing our county. It is also a great opportunity to win scholarship awards and be recognized in the community. I encourage all students to give this some thought and enter the contest,” stated Jack Malpass, founder of the San Tan Valley Think Tank.
There will be winners in both the middle school and high school essay and speech categories.
Judges will choose the following winners in each category:
One Grand Prize Winner
• $500 scholarship award from Pinal County Attorney’s
• $500 matching scholarship award from Central Arizona College
• Arizona SciTech Festival Recognition
• Grand Prize Trophy
• Framed picture of recipient with assembled dignitaries
• Certificate acknowledging winner as a creative thought leader in Science and Technology
One Second Prize Winner
• $300 scholarship award from Pinal County Attorney’s Office
• $300 matching scholarship award from Central Arizona College
• Arizona SciTech Festival Recognition
• Second Prize Trophy
• Framed picture of recipient with assembled dignitaries
• Certificate acknowledging winner as a creative thought leader in Science and Technology
One Third Prize Winner
• $200 scholarship award from Pinal County Attorney’s Office
• $200 scholarship award from Central Arizona College
• Arizona SciTech Festival Recognition
• Third Prize Trophy
• Framed picture of recipient with assembled dignitaries
• Certificate acknowledging winner as a creative thought leader in Science and Technology
Honorable Mention
• $50 scholarship from Pinal County Attorney’s Office
• Honorable Mention Award from Judges
• Framed Picture of recipient with assembled dignitaries
• Honorable Mention Certificate acknowledging youth as a participant in Science and Technology Essay Contest
For complete contest guidelines and rules, visit www.santanthinktank.org or email contact@santanvalleythinktank.org.
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