2019 Essay Contest Details
Sixth grade students at schools in Colorado and Wyoming are invited to participate in the "Great Women in Engineering and Science" essay contest. The goal of the contest is to foster an interest in science, engineering, and technology in middle school students and to introduce students to female role models who have achieved significant success in areas of science and engineering. Over 250 girls and boys participate annually and prizes and certificates are awarded.
To enter: Write an original essay of approximately 500 words on one of the women scientists listed. See full details in our Essay Contest Flyer.
Winning essays should:
- Describe in detail the woman's life, achievements and any awards she received in recognition of her work.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of her work.
- Show originality.
- Include three or more research sources from varying media (bibliography).
- Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Present the information in an organized, neat fashion with good sentence structure.
For additional details, please see Frequently Asked Questions and Essay Scoring Guidelines.
Essays must include a cover page with the following information:
- Your full name
- Your school's name and address
- Your teacher's name and email address
- The number of 6th graders in your class
For further information or to sign up for the essay contest email list, contact the contest co-chairs at EssayContestSWERMS@gmail.com
Attention SWE RMS members:
Please contact Sara Ellis or Kristen Bonifield at EssayContestSWERMS@gmail.com if you are interested in being a volunteer judge for this year's Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest.
2018 Essay Contest Results
The results of the 31st annual Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest are in! The competition was fierce again this year with an outstanding 268 entries from 14 schools in Colorado and Wyoming. A panel of 13 volunteer judges enjoyed reviewing all of the essays. Congratulations to every entrant!
The top three awards are a $75, $50, and $25 prize in addition to the science kit and science book awarded to the honorable merit and honorable mention recipients. The top three award winners are listed below in no particular order. Their prizes will be announced at the Society of Women Engineers Rocky Mountain Section award banquet to be held on April 28, 2018. The following students will receive a personal invitation to the event:
Aynslie Brown of Evergreen, CO for her essay on Alice Ball. Aynslie attends 6th grade at Evergreen Middle School and was sponsored by teachers Dawn Beck and Julia Fliss.
Hannah Kasnoff of Grand Junction, CO for her essay on Alice Ball. Hannah attends 6th grade at Redlands Middle School and was sponsored by teacher Bob Clark.
Alexa Lewis of Golden, CO for her essay on Eileen Collins. Alexa attends 6th grade at Bell Middle School and was sponsored by teacher Jen Flores.
School Awards: This year 8 schools will receive the school library award for outstanding participation in the essay contest. To qualify for this award a school must submit essays from at least 20% of the 6th graders in the participating classes. The books provide information on women engineers and scientists. These excellent references will support teachers and classrooms in future research, not only for this contest, but also for other scientific, historical, or biographical projects.
The aim of the school library award is two-fold: to supply 6th graders throughout Colorado and Wyoming with research materials and to encourage teachers to include the essay contest in their curricula in order to expose all of their students to the significance and opportunities of science-related careers. The schools receiving awards this year are:
Honorable Merit Awards: Five students will receive Honorable Merit Awards this year. This year’s prize is a Snap Circuits Jr. electronics kit. The Honorable Merit award recipients are:
Honorable Mention Awards: Ten students will receive Honorable Mention Awards this year. This year’s prize is the book 101 Great Science Experiments by Neil Ardley. The Honorable Mention award winners are:
All participants will receive a certificate of participation and a participation prize.
Thank you to the panel of judges who spent their valuable time reviewing the essays. Without their commitment this contest would not be possible.
The top three awards are a $75, $50, and $25 prize in addition to the science kit and science book awarded to the honorable merit and honorable mention recipients. The top three award winners are listed below in no particular order. Their prizes will be announced at the Society of Women Engineers Rocky Mountain Section award banquet to be held on April 28, 2018. The following students will receive a personal invitation to the event:
Aynslie Brown of Evergreen, CO for her essay on Alice Ball. Aynslie attends 6th grade at Evergreen Middle School and was sponsored by teachers Dawn Beck and Julia Fliss.
Hannah Kasnoff of Grand Junction, CO for her essay on Alice Ball. Hannah attends 6th grade at Redlands Middle School and was sponsored by teacher Bob Clark.
Alexa Lewis of Golden, CO for her essay on Eileen Collins. Alexa attends 6th grade at Bell Middle School and was sponsored by teacher Jen Flores.
School Awards: This year 8 schools will receive the school library award for outstanding participation in the essay contest. To qualify for this award a school must submit essays from at least 20% of the 6th graders in the participating classes. The books provide information on women engineers and scientists. These excellent references will support teachers and classrooms in future research, not only for this contest, but also for other scientific, historical, or biographical projects.
The aim of the school library award is two-fold: to supply 6th graders throughout Colorado and Wyoming with research materials and to encourage teachers to include the essay contest in their curricula in order to expose all of their students to the significance and opportunities of science-related careers. The schools receiving awards this year are:
- Arrowwood Elementary, Highlands Ranch, CO
- Bell Middle School, Golden, CO
- Chugwater School, Chugwater, WY
- Independence Academy Charter School, Grand Junction, CO
- Pawnee Junior High School, Grover, CO
- Sargent Elementary School, Monte Vista, CO
- Thunder Valley K-8, Frederick, CO
- Worland Middle School, Worland, CO
Honorable Merit Awards: Five students will receive Honorable Merit Awards this year. This year’s prize is a Snap Circuits Jr. electronics kit. The Honorable Merit award recipients are:
- Landon Arnold Independence Academy Charter School
- Chloe Gerlach Sargent Elementary School
- Elise Henderson Bell Middle School
- Saige T. Hostetter Sargent Elementary School
- Megan Sagner Chugwater School
Honorable Mention Awards: Ten students will receive Honorable Mention Awards this year. This year’s prize is the book 101 Great Science Experiments by Neil Ardley. The Honorable Mention award winners are:
- Giovanni Aguilar Sargent Elementary School
- Nicholas Bennet Arrowwood Elementary
- Aaron Brimhall Sargent Elementary School
- Bailey Edwards Independence Academy Charter School
- Danielle Marie Gubbels Arrowwood Elementary
- Elena Joy Gunderson Worland Middle School
- Brooke Hoffstaetter Sargent Elementary School
- Kendra Larks Thunder Valley K-8
- Zach Larson Rojo Sunset Middle School
- Garett Thomson Sargent Elementary School
All participants will receive a certificate of participation and a participation prize.
Thank you to the panel of judges who spent their valuable time reviewing the essays. Without their commitment this contest would not be possible.
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