Contest --- not for class :)

Challenge contest — win a trip to Washington DC to show your stuff!

The Institute for Applied Creativity is partnering with the "From the Bow Seat" organization to host a challenge competition. The winner will present a hands-on exhibit for kids at the USA Science & Engineering Festival, Washington, DC, on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26, 2014, all expenses paid, including an honorarium of $180. for your participation in the festival exhibit. This is equal to over $1000. in support of your work!

The winning entry will showcase intersections of art and design with science and engineering, or STEAM. We're looking for a hands-on activity for young people, to highlight the global problem of plastics pollution in the oceans. It's one of the most pressing challenges facing the ocean. There is so much plastic in the ocean that it can get carried on currents and form giant ocean garbage patches, and each day it kills countless sea animals and birds that ingest or become entangled in it. Degraded plastic is now microscopic, and has been ingested by some of the tiniest marine life. 

The founder of From the Bow seat is a mother with two high school children, who wishes to do something about this problem for the sake of future generations.

The USA Science & Engineering Festival is the largest in the nation. The audience is primarily kindergarten through high school students and families. Attendance will be 8000 to 10,000! 

Competition rules:

1. The activity should be light-weight, hands-on, and fun, using no food or toxic materials (and plastic only if it's recyclable and later recycled). It should be engaging for young people from kindergarten through high school (or a subset of this population, for example, a certain age group).

2. Supplies to create and exhibit are covered up to a maximum of 850. 

3. Computer equipment if used, should be an IPad or laptop, with one optional large monitor. Microcontrollers and other peripherals should be supplied by the person, department, or organization. But it's not necessary the exhibit be digital.

4. Booth space is 10 x 10 feet, with a 2 x 6 foot table. Exhibits need to be contained on the table. 

5. The winning exhibit will showcase intersections of art and design with science and engineering, or STEAM.

6. An estimate of the time spent by each visitor to your booth is perhaps 1 to 5 minutes, depending on how engaging the experience is. It will be crowded and fast-paced. Consider visual impact and/or take away items, for kids.

7. The exhibit should be family-friendly.

Before you enter, to become informed about the issue, please read and view the resources on these links:

About the USA Science & Engineering Festival:

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/ 

From the Bow Seat Organization:

http://fromthebowseat.org/details-art.php

http://fromthebowseat.org/details-essay.php

http://fromthebowseat.org/details-advocacy.php

About plastics pollution in the oceans:

http://5gyres.org/

Here are a couple of ideas from the organization (please feel free to interpret these)

Plastic Soup - Did you know, if you eat seafood, you're eating plastic too?

Animals endangered by plastics pollution can be an issue compelling to kids. 

To enter:

1. Email a short description to Carol LaFayette <lurleen@viz.tamu.edu> Simply paste your description into an email rather than attaching a document. Include your name and department.

2. If your entry is selected for the final round, you will be invited to join a DropBox folder, where we will ask you to upload a budget and a sketch or image.

DEADLINE for email descriptions: February 10, 2014, 5pm.

DEADLINE for completed entries: February 15, 2014, 5pm.

The winner should be able to work with the IAC and assistants to deliver a successful activity, and should be willing to commit to the two-day exhibit.

Need more information? Email Carol LaFayette, Director, Institute for Applied Creativity, at lurleen@viz.tamu.edu