Call for Entries: The 2016 DuPont Challenge 30th Anniversary

Writing Competition Celebrates 30 years of Next Generation Solvers Meeting Global Challenges

Wilmington, Del. (PRWEB) November 19, 2015

The 2016 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition opened Nov. 1, 2015, and is now accepting entries. Established in 1986 as a tribute to the Space Shuttle Challenger and now in its 30th consecutive year, the DuPont Challenge essay contest encourages students to consider how science and innovation can be used to meet the global challenges for food, energy and protection.

"We are proud that for 30 years the DuPont Challenge has engaged students to see the impact science and innovation can have in solving some of the world's biggest challenges," said Karen A. Fletcher, vice president of DuPont Engineering and chief engineer. "Year after year the STEM-driven DuPont Challenge essay inspires young people to be agents of change as we seek solutions to feed the world in a sustainable way, develop clean sources of energy and protect people and the environment."

All students in grades K-12 across the United States, Canada, and U.S. territories are eligible to participate. This year the DuPont Challenge has three levels of competition: Elementary Division (grades K through 5), Junior Division (grades 6, 7, and 8) and Senior Division (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12). Students in grades K through 5 may submit their entries from Nov. 1, 2015, to March 1, 2016, and students in grades 6-12 may submit their entries from Nov. 15, 2015, to Jan. 31, 2016.

At each level, students conduct research on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) topic and write their findings. Elementary Division students collaborate in groups along with their classroom teacher to participate in inquiry-based exploration and create a science story while Junior and Senior Division students write individual essays.
Students should address one of the four following categories in a 700–1,000-word essay:

•     Together, we can feed the world.
•     Together, we can build a secure energy future.
•     Together, we can protect people and the environment.
•     Together, we can be innovative anywhere.

The DuPont Challenge offers more than $50,000 in prizes and awards in the Elementary Division. Awards include a "Science is Fun" schoolwide assembly for six winning classrooms. In addition, the winning teacher in each grade level receives an expenses-paid trip to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Annual Conference in 2017.

More than $100,000 in prizes and awards are offered in the Junior and Senior Divisions. The top three winners in each division plus a parent and their sponsoring teacher receive an expenses-paid trip to Orlando, Fla., and an exclusive tour of the Kennedy Space Center. In addition, winning students will receive a savings bond and sponsoring teachers will receive grants.

All winners in each division receive digital reference materials from Britannica Digital Learning and the NBC Learn Science Collection for both their personal use and for their entire school.

The winners of the 2014 DuPont Challenge conducted research, studied and experimented their way through global problems in order to come up with possible solutions. The topics they addressed included the following: (1) Revolutionizing architecture with the shape of a potato chip to save lives (2) Hydrogen cars, artificial leaves, and the future of clean energy (3) Improving global healthcare access to malaria fighting treatments and (4) Using drones in livestock production.

For more information, including official rules, entry form and details on awards, please visit thechallenge.dupont.com.

The 2016 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition is sponsored by DuPont in collaboration with A+ Media, Britannica Digital Learning, NASA, NBC Learn, Turnitin, and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).

DuPont DD has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.

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11/19/15

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