2008 Engineering Energy for the Future

See the Winners!

Essay Contest

Energy!  It fuels our cars, heats our homes, runs our computers and keeps the lights on.  We use energy in almost everything we do, but if we aren’t careful there won’t be enough.  Engineers have their work cut out for them.  The world is counting on them to chart a course to a safe and clean energy future.  They will need to come up with useful ways to save energy as well as ways to produce more of it.  How can engineers work together to make the world work for the changing needs of people everywhere without damaging the environment?  What should they be focusing on, and how will energy shape the future for engineering?  Think about how much energy influences your life every day as you prepare your essay to answer the questions above.

Who Can Enter?
The contest is open to individual girls and boys. This year there are three age categories: 

Ages 8-11    -  3rd grade to 5th grade
Ages 12-14  -  6th grade to 8th grade
Ages 15-18  -  9th grade to 12th grade

How Do I Enter?
Write an essay of no more than 750 words describing how you believe engineers will provide energy for the future. Entries may be submitted as an Email attachment to webcontest@nae.edu.  Submitted entries should be in Rich Text Format (.rtf), but will be accepted in Word or WordPerfect format.
All entries should include the following required information: 

1. Your full name*
2. Your school's name, and your current grade*
3. Your mailing address*
4. Your email address*
5. Topic of your essay
6. Your essay
7. A statement that reads:  "This submitted essay is the original work of entrant's full name. I, entrant's full name, grant the NAE the right to publish the essay on the EngineerGirl website if it is declared a winner."
8. A statement from a parent or guardian that reads:  "I, parent or guardian's full name, am the parent or guardian of entrant's full name.  I certify that the submitted essay is the original work of entrant's name, and I grant the NAE the right to publish this essay on the EngineerGirl website if it is declared a winner."

 
When Is the Deadline?
Entries must be received by March 1, 2008.  The winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2008 on the EngineerGirl website.

What are the Awards?
All winning entries may be published on the EngineerGirl! website.  First-place winners will also receive a check for $500. Second-place entries will be awarded $250. Third-place entries will be awarded $100.

What are the Contest Guidelines?
Essays will be judged on the basis of organization, depth of detail, and use of language by the author. You may wish to preview the scorecard for the selection criteria.
All essays must be the original work of the author submitting the entry and must not have been published anywhere else.
A contestant may enter only one essay.
All entries will be read by a panel of judges, whose selections will be final.
Entry in the contest grants the NAE non-exclusive rights to publish winning essays in full or in part on the EngineerGirl! website.

Check out the 2007 Engineering Grand Challenges contest winners!

* Personal information is requested from students entering the contest, so that the National Academy of Engineering can contact winners and recognize achievements. This information is not shared with other organizations.