The 2017 essay contest is closed. Please check back in January 2018 for next year's contest details.
2017 Essay Contest Results
The results of the 30th annual Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest are in! The competition was fierce again this year with an outstanding 246 entries from 19 schools in Colorado and Wyoming. A panel of 15 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 22, 2017. The following students will receive a personal invitation to the event:
Megan Haussmann of Lakewood, CO for her essay on Lise Meitner. Megan attends 6th grade at Devinny Elementary and was sponsored by teacher Heather Wacinski.
Paige Hill of Greeley, CO for her essay on Nettie Stevens. Paige attends 6th grade at Harold S. Winograd K-8 and was sponsored by teacher Delia Haefeli.
Olivia Schramm of Windsor for her essay on Sofia Kowalevski. Olivia attends 6th grade at Windsor Middle School and was sponsored by teacher Ruth Brunner.
School Awards: This year 9 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 22, 2017. The following students will receive a personal invitation to the event:
Megan Haussmann of Lakewood, CO for her essay on Lise Meitner. Megan attends 6th grade at Devinny Elementary and was sponsored by teacher Heather Wacinski.
Paige Hill of Greeley, CO for her essay on Nettie Stevens. Paige attends 6th grade at Harold S. Winograd K-8 and was sponsored by teacher Delia Haefeli.
Olivia Schramm of Windsor for her essay on Sofia Kowalevski. Olivia attends 6th grade at Windsor Middle School and was sponsored by teacher Ruth Brunner.
School Awards: This year 9 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
- Branson School, Branson, CO
- Denver Academy of Torah, Denver, CO
- Devinny Elementary School, Lakewood, CO
- Prairie Wind Elementary, Gillette, WY
- Sargent Elementary School, Monte Vista, CO
- S. Christa McAuliffe S.T.E.M. Academy, Greeley, CO
- Windsor Middle School, Windsor, 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:
- Coren Dorrington Devinny Elementary
- Lucille Dreyer Windsor Middle School
- Emily Hinson Windsor Middle School
- Lydia Pita Estes Park Middle School
- Roya Sadeghi Devinny Elementary
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:
- Noah Bearden Windsor Middle School
- Jack Bishop Worland Middle School
- Julia ML Burky Worland Middle School
- James Gray Devinny Elementary
- Jack Gustafson Windsor Middle School
- Megan Cary Peterson Sargent Elementary School
- Harley Redding Worland Middle School
- Sophia Scheuerman Worland Middle School
- Jordan Sharon Arrowwood Elementary
- Elaine Zou Eagleview Middle 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.
Essay Contest Details
Sixth grade students at 1600 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. (2017 example, check back for 2018 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. (2017 example)
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: Contact Sara Bury Ellis at EssayContestSWERMS@gmail.com
Attention SWE RMS members: Please contact Sara Bury Ellis if you are interested in being a volunteer judge for next year's Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest.
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. (2017 example, check back for 2018 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. (2017 example)
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: Contact Sara Bury Ellis at EssayContestSWERMS@gmail.com
Attention SWE RMS members: Please contact Sara Bury Ellis if you are interested in being a volunteer judge for next year's Great Women in Engineering and Science Essay Contest.
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