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Email from DroneBlocks: We are excited to announce that  DroneBlocks  and  Drobots  are partnering to develop a unique STEAM-based competition for middle school students:  The   Synchronized Dancing Drone Competition!   Participating teams from across the country will submit their final performances in a virtual manner to be reviewed and graded by competition judges. The top four winning teams will be invited to display their Dancing Drone Performance during halftime of the high school  2019 BELL Vertical Robotics Competition  on  December 7th . Competition criteria include... Participation for current middle school students Evidence of demonstrating the "A" in STEAM Combining Drones + Programming with DroneBlocks + Music + Creativity Final projects shared through a virtual presentation Top-rated Final Four Teams will be invited to perform in front of hundreds of participants during the High S...

From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources -  Help design the 2020 wild turkey patch K-12 students, here’s a chance to make your mark by submitting the winning design for the 2020 wild turkey patch! All entries must be received by Dec. 31, 2018. Original, hand-completed designs should include an eastern wild turkey or components of a turkey (e.g., feathers, tracks). Drawings may be done in any medium (pencil, oil, pen and ink, chalk, crayon, etc.) and be color or black and white. If color, no more than 13 colors may be used. All entries must be submitted on 8.5-inch-by-11-inch paper, and submitted without mat, glass, frame or cover sheet (spray chalk with fixative). Each patch design entry must include the following phrases or elements: "Wild Turkey Management Cooperator" "2020" The DNR logo (or simply create a circular placeholder for the logo) The web URL " mi.gov/turkey " First-, second- and third-place winners will receive...

What: Map Michigan Contest! 2019 Who:  High School (grades 9-12) and Middle School (grades 4-8) students When:   Entry form due by March 22; submission deadline is May 15 Prizes:  10 - $100 prizes for each level Learn more at  https://bit.ly/2zsTv16ArcGIS  Synopsis From MDE Memo #172-18 : Details for the ArcGIS Online United States Competition 2019 in which students create and share maps about their home states are now available. "The competition is open to students in both middle and high school who can analyze, interpret, and present data via an ArcGIS online presentation, web application, or story map.  To participate, a school must complete an entry form by March 22, 2019. A school may submit up to five projects to the competition website.  Submissions must be received no later than May 15, 2019." Software is freely available for K-12 instructional use from Esri.  To learn more about how to access this free software go to http...

The seventh  Google Science Fair  challenges students ages 13 to 18 to submit science projects that explore unanswered questions or tackle scientific hurdles that have yet to be overcome by December 12, 2018. Check out the website for lots of ideas, how to get involved, and to learn about cool prizes!

Do you have students with BIG IDEAS?  The window is open for the National Science Foundation 2026 Idea Machine! From the NSF website - The NSF 2026 Idea Machine is a competition to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental research in science and engineering. Participants can earn prizes and receive public recognition by suggesting the pressing research questions that need to be answered in the coming decade, the next set of “ Big Ideas ” for future investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It's an opportunity for researchers, the public and other interested stakeholders to contribute to NSF's mission to support basic research and enable new discoveries that drive the U.S. economy, enhance national security and advance knowledge to sustain the country's global leadership in science and engineering. As an added incentive, Western Michigan University is adding to the opportunity for any "potential future WMU student ages 14 and up in the state of Mic...

There is a free webinar on Feb 20 where you can learn tips & tricks for integrating the @USCIWitness Challenge into your classroom.  It would be great to see some local teachers participate in this! From the website : Make the World Stronger Than Hate. Educators have a powerful opportunity to educate and inspire students to make change now. The 2018 IWitness Video Challenge, created by USC Shoah Foundation and in partnership with Discovery Education , provides an actionable way to promote equality, challenge bias, discuss tolerance, and engage students in a service-learning project that inspires action. Teachers and students can be part of a movement that counters hatred in all its forms, from racism to antisemitism to xenophobia. Prizes This important opportunity for youth to be Stronger Than Hate—and inspire their friends, school, and community to join them—also comes with the chance to win scholarships and grants totaling $10,000. FOR STUDENTS: First...

LSSU High School Short Story Prize  The theme for the 2018 LSSU High School Short Story Prize is historical fiction! Who: High School students in the US and Canada What : original pieces of 5,000 words or less that take place in a past time period When : Deadline is March 31, 2018 How : the event's  online submissions manager The guidelines are posted on the event  website .  The past contest winners entries are also located on the website. From the event website : The LSSU High School Short Story Prize is a North American literary competition run by the Lake Superior State University Department of English & Creative Writing for high school writers with a cash award, scholarship, and publication. The competition is open to all high school students residing in the United States and Canada. Entries are accepted December 1 through March 31 each year. Our mission is to create excitement about writing and reading in high school students, as well as to ...

For math teachers in Calhoun County - (Not an educator in Calhoun County, Michigan? There are local contests at various locations; you can visit the website to view a schedule) Sumdog's math contest for Calhoun County starts Friday February 10, 2016 and will run until the following Thursday . Cost: It's free to take part and there are plenty of prizes to be won! Levels: Suggested grades K-8 When: Students can play online either at school or at home using the website or the app! In order to join in the fun, teachers can enter their class here: http://www.sumdog.com/enter_ contest For any questions, contact info@sumdog.com

Great opportunity for students to propose and create an initiative! "Strive for a Safer Drive (S4SD) is a teen driving initiative aimed at reducing serious traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities among Michigan’s most inexperienced drivers – teens.  It is presented by Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) and the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP)." Participation is free and could save a life. All Michigan high schools are eligible to apply.  Up to 50 schools will be selected to receive $1,000 to develop and implement a student-led, peer-to-peer traffic safety awareness campaign.  Campaign topics may include distracted driving, seat belts, impaired driving, speeding, and winter driving. High school teams will submit a final project. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top five schools. Students have the opportunity to: Gain valuable experience in leadership, problem solving, teamwork, and project management. Showcase creativity and ...

From Discovery Education: Cast a Vote for Your Favorite Student Doodle- Doodle 4 Google voting is now open! Earlier this year, young artists all over the country re-imagined the Google logo as part of the 7th annual Doodle 4 Google competition. Which one do you think should win? The esteemed p anel of judges has narrowed the pool to 50 state winners and it's up to YOU to pick the 5 national finalists - one of which will be the Doodle 4 Google 2014 winner! Cast a vote for your favorite doodle before May 9th, 2014 . The national winner will be awarded a $30,000 college scholarship and $50,000 Google for Education grant for his or her school. The grand prize winner will also spend a day at Google headquarters to animate his or her doodle with the doodle team to be featured on the Google homepage. Bring the Magic of Doodles into your Classroom To celebrate the Do...