Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare Announces Sweepstakes Winners

Kudos to Georgia teachers Susan Hogan and Lexie Phillips for caring about our students!

Two teachers in each state have been chosen to receive a prize of two hundred books each from the Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program. These winners will then donate one hundred of the books to a local charity and keep one hundred for their own school. Winners were picked from more than 35,000 entrants in the 2010 "Care Where You Are Sweepstakes," an annual highlight of the Scholastic ClassroomsCare program, which donates more than a million books to children in need each year.

The Care Where You Are winning teachers, whose names are posted at http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/contests_home.htm#tcool will receive books and then can donate them to their local charity. In the past, Care Where You Are Sweepstakes winners have donated to children's hospitals, libraries, literacy centers and many other places that work with children in need. This year, Scholastic received more than double the number of entries from previous years.

According to Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, "We're so pleased that teachers are making time to help their students participate in the ClassroomsCare program. By entering the Care Where You Are Sweepstakes, teachers and their classes are showing their desire to help make a difference in their own community by reaching people most in need of quality books."

ClassroomsCare is an annual challenge to the one million classrooms that use Scholastic Book Clubs. Participating classes read for the cause, triggering a donation of a million books from Scholastic Book Clubs to ClassroomsCare's charity partners, such as Reach Out and Read, Save the Children and The Pajama Program. Books are then donated throughout the year to kids in preschool to middle school who in many cases wouldn't otherwise have books of their own. Since August 2010, more than 8,592,613 books were read as a result of the program in 100,000 classrooms.

By the numbers:

* 30,127,000* - kids have read for ClassroomsCare since 2001
* 10,000,000 - books donated to charities through ClassroomsCare
* 1,234,580 - classrooms have participated in ClassroomsCare
* 126,050,613 – Total Books Read because of ClassroomsCare


*The number of kids who have read for ClassroomsCare was calculated by multiplying the number of participating classrooms by 25.

Scholastic Book Clubs is a division of Scholastic (Nasdaq: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company.

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New Scholarships to Benefit Nursing Students

/PRNewswire/ -- It was announced today that two new scholarship contests are in place for 2011 to specifically benefit nursing students. The Atlanta Nursing Scholarship gives the winner a $500.00 scholarship to be applied toward any accredited nursing program offered by a school in the greater Atlanta area. The Mary Blake Single Parent Nursing Scholarship gives the winner a $500.00 scholarship to be used toward any accredited nursing program.

Entry forms, rules and restrictions, and links to full details for each contest can be found online at http://www.onlinenursingdegrees.org/financial-aid/atlanta-nursing-scholarship-contest.htm and http://www.onlinenursingdegrees.org/financial-aid/single-parent-scholarship-contest.htm.

These contests are being sponsored and administered by the scholarships and promotions department of OnlineNursingDegrees.org (http://www.onlinenursingdegrees.org/financial-aid/nursing-scholarships.htm), a site that recently entered its fourth year of serving the needs of domestic nursing students in the US.

In a statement released today, Martin Lamers of Online Nursing Degrees said, "Our Nursing Scholarships recognize the unique challenges and opportunities presented to today's nursing students. We want to highlight the crucial role a nurse plays in the stability and growth of any major metropolitan area, as well as reward the individual efforts of some of the area's brightest students and strongest individuals."

The Atlanta Nursing Scholarship contest is open to all nursing students enrolled in an accredited nursing program in the metro Atlanta area. It is an essay contest with a minimum of 500 words to be used describing why the individual is uniquely deserving of the award. Entries may be submitted online until June 15th. Scheduled as an annual event, the winner for 2011's contest will be announced in August.

For more information or to enter this contest, visit: http://www.onlinenursingdegrees.org/financial-aid/atlanta-nursing-scholarship-contest.htm

The Mary Blake Single Parent Nursing Scholarship contest is open to all single-parent nursing students enrolled in an accredited nursing program. It is an essay contest with a minimum of 500 words to be used describing why the individual is uniquely deserving of the award. Entries may be submitted online until June 15th. Scheduled as an annual event, the winner for 2011's contest will be announced in August.

For more information or to enter this contest, visit: http://www.onlinenursingdegrees.org/financial-aid/single-parent-scholarship-contest.htm

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Cast Your Vote to Help Georgia's Tyrone Elementary Win $10,000 in National Competition

Connie Redd in the car line spreading the word about Progresso Soup joining the Box Tops for Education Program. 

“SOUPer” news for Tyrone Elementary; the school has been selected as one of 10 finalists nationwide in the Progresso Soup Box Tops for Education Contest.

The school entered the competition last month by submitting a photo and short description of how they would creatively spread the word about Progresso Soup joining the Box Tops for Education program. Parent Connie Redd, the school’s campaign leader, wore a “Box Tops for Education” label and carried an oversized Progresso Soup can while parading through the school’s car line. She says she made sure everyone in their cars knew that the soups now have the box tops and each are worth a dime.

Her campaign and the photo of Redd wearing the costume landed the school in the finals for the competition. Now, it is up to voters to select the grand prize winning school that will receive 100,000 box tops worth approximately $10,000. If Tyrone wins, the funds will be used to repair playground equipment, purchase technology programs and instructional supplies.

Here’s how you can help Tyrone Elementary get the most votes and win the $10,000 grand prize. Log on to www.boxtops4education.com and click on the “Box Top” link at the top of the page. Enter the school’s zip code (30290) and select Tyrone Elementary from the dropdown menu. Follow the directions for registering and return to the BTFE home page, click on the contest link, find the school’s photo, and vote. Persons can vote once daily through December 13. The winner will be notified on December 17.

The Box Tops for Education program gives schools 10 cents for every Box Tops logo they send back. So far this year, Tyrone Elementary has earned $1,520 by participating in the program.

Of course, the school would like to add $10,000 to its overall total, so don’t forget to vote daily and help Tyrone Elementary become the national winner in the Progresso Soup Box Tops for Education Contest.

Editor's Note:  Come on Georgia!  Let's all help Tyrone Elementary in Fayette County win this competition!

Photo Source:  Fayette County Board of Education


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What Would YOUR School Do With $25,000 to Improve Youth Fitness?

Georgia's own Spring Hill Elementary in Chatsworth is in the top 10 finalists.  Can we make them number 1?

/PRNewswire/ -- Parents, teachers and community members from across the country have nominated their local schools to win $25,000 in fitness cash in an effort to address the urgent health and fitness crisis among our nation's youth. The entry period is now over, and the top ten finalists have been chosen for the 2010 Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit Contest—now it's up to YOU to decide which school will win the $25,000 prize!

Henkel, the company behind some of the nation's leading consumer brands such as Dial® soaps, Purex® laundry detergent, Renuzit® air freshener, Right Guard® antiperspirant, and Soft Scrub® household cleaners, in cooperation, the American Council on Exercise (ACE), have chosen the top 10 finalists in the Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit contest. Parents, teachers and community members were encouraged to visit www.HenkelHelps.com to nominate their local school by answering a fundamental question: "What Would Your School Do with $25,000 to Improve Youth Fitness?"

The TEN FINALISTS (alphabetically by last name), with excerpts from their essay submissions, include:

* Tracy Carey from Maricopa, AZ nominated Santa Cruz Elementary School – "Adding a climbing wall to our multipurpose room brings an activity that promotes self-esteem, contributes to cardiovascular and muscular endurance, enhances the skills of cooperation and team-building and is super fun!"


* Ryan Koslovsky from Saint Charles, IL nominated East Aurora High School – "Our school is located in a poverty level district and is filled with students of all ages that are determined to look past the negative influences around them and succeed here at East."


* Amy Kriveloff from Bronx, NY nominated P754X – "95% of our population lives below the poverty level and qualifies for the federally funded in school breakfast/lunch program. 1/3 of our students reside in foster care or in Group Homes."


* Ashley Langford from Chatsworth, GA nominated Spring Place Elementary School – "Spring Place Elementary has a lot of heart to say the least. Walk the tattered halls of this school, and you will not see the dilapidated building, you will see hundreds of smiling faces- both on the children and adults as they grow and learn."


* Julie Maguder from Meriden, CT nominated Washington Middle School – "Despite all of the facts we know about the direct correlation between regular exercise and academic success, we have no ability to incorporate regular exercise into our students' lives. Last year's budget was $220.00 and this year…NO MONEY was allotted to buy any equipment for our PE program."


* Terri Mills from Memphis, TN nominated Knight Road Elementary School – "[B]ecause of the fact that our children are being raised in poverty, our school attempts to meet the needs of the children right where they are now. We struggle continually because of a lack of funding to provide even necessities. Our children are wonderful and deserve the very best."


* Darci Nice from Polson, MT nominated Pablo Elementary School – "After watching your videos I chuckled to myself thinking how fortunate the majority of schools are just to receive an average pay of $764.00. Our physical education program here has received for the past two years, $300.00 each year."


* Mary Kathryn Rains from Tampa, FL nominated Freedom High School – "If Freedom High School receives the grand prize, not one penny would go to waste. For starters, the Physical Education department works with a budget of $750 each year. For small schools, this amount may be substantial, but in a school of 2300 students, this amount fails to provide students with fitness resources."


* Brenda Tarquinio from Frederick, MD nominated Orchard Grove Elementary School – "Schools at the elementary level are often left out of advantages such as a paved track and we are left to figure out where to have our students run. Yet…students who love to move their body in elementary school will be on the road to learning about life long fitness."


* Erin Zajac from Stillwater, OK nominated Will Rogers Elementary School – "If awarded the $25,000 grant money from Henkel Helps, Will Rogers will have the opportunity to create a safer, more durable walking path on the playground."


The top 10 finalists will receive a free Flip™ video camera to create a brief video that brings to life the health and fitness issues facing their school and their idea for making the most of the $25,000 prize. Starting November 15, consumers will vote online at http://www.HenkelHelps.com to select the school they feel deserves to win the $25,000 to help improve youth fitness.

"In the last three years, Henkel Helps has worked to give back to the communities across North America," said Natalie Violi, Director-Corporate Communications – Henkel. "Our 2010 campaign, Henkel Helps Get Kids Fit, hopes to inspire communities around their schools' fitness programs and make a meaningful difference in the lives of kids, families and neighborhoods nationwide."

For more information please visit http://www.HenkelHelps.com.

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Moon Work Design Contest Offers NASA Internships to Winners

/PRNewswire/ -- Talented engineering students who have ideas on how future explorers might live on the moon could find themselves working at NASA as paid interns.

The 2010 NASA Moon Work engineering design challenge seeks to motivate college students by giving them first-hand experience with the process of developing new technologies. To participate in the contest, students will submit their original design for tools or instruments that can help astronauts live and work on the moon. Top-ranked students will be offered a chance to intern with a team from NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program.

The Exploration Technology Development Program develops new technologies that will enable NASA to conduct future human exploration missions while reducing mission risk and cost. The program is maturing near-term technologies to help enable the first flight of the Orion crew exploration vehicle and developing long-lead technologies needed for possible lunar exploration missions.

Winning Moon Work contestants also will have a chance to attend field tests conducted by the Desert Research and Technology Studies Program, managed by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The program conducts annual tests of new technologies in landscapes that are close analogs of the moon and other harsh space environments.

Students should submit a notice of intent to enter the contest by Dec. 15. Final entries for the Moon Work challenge are due May 15, 2010. All entries must be from students at U.S. colleges or universities. Although non-citizens may be part of a team, only U.S. citizens may win NASA internships or travel awards.

For complete details and to enter the contest, visit:
http://moonwork.larc.nasa.gov/

Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., manages the student contest for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.

Through this and NASA's other college and university programs, the agency is developing student skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- disciplines critical to achieving the agency's space exploration missions.

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750 Student Teams Wanted for World's Largest Rocket Competition

/PRNewswire/ -- Registration for the world's largest rocket competition, the Team America Rocketry Challenge, is open to 750 student teams in grades 7-12 from any U.S. school, home school or non-profit youth organization. Registration for the 2010 spring contest is open now through November 30.

The annual rocket contest, sponsored by AIA, challenges teams of three to 10 students to design and build a rocket that will climb to 825 feet with a raw egg payload and stay aloft for 40 to 45 seconds. The payload must then return to earth unbroken. The 2010 contest rules and registration information are available at www.rocketcontest.org.

"The Team America Rocketry Challenge is fostering the next generation of engineers by sparking an interest in math and physics in a fun, team-based environment," said Marion Blakey, AIA president and CEO. "The students are often mentored by real-world engineers and scientists and many teams are sponsored by AIA member companies. TARC is truly an invaluable educational experience."

AIA sponsors TARC with the National Association of Rocketry, NASA, the Defense Department, the American Association of Physics Teachers and AIA member companies. The contest is in its eighth year and is proving to be the needed catalyst to generate interest in students with the sciences. According to a survey of TARC alumni:

-- 83 percent became more interested in science and math as a result of
TARC.
-- 81 percent gained a better understanding of how math, science, and
technology are used to solve problems in the real world.
-- 70 percent became more interested in a STEM career as a result of
TARC.
-- 67 percent intend to choose a STEM major in college.

The top 100 TARC team finalists are notified on April 9 that they have earned a trip to the competition May 15, just outside of Washington, DC. Student participants compete for $60,000 in prizes, scholarships and a trip to the 2010 international air show in London for an international "Fly-Off" with student teams from France and the UK.

The aerospace industry is actively looking for young people to join its ranks. The industry is facing a future workforce shortage as many employees will reach retirement age in the next decade. A recent Aviation Week and Space Technology survey found that almost 40 percent of the workforce is over the age of 50. For more information on careers in aerospace, visit www.launchintoaerospace.org.

Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services, and information technology.

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Tuition Tales Video Contest Could Help Pay for College

Want to win $10,000 for higher education expenses?! Enter a 30-second video contest at www.tuition-tales.com for a chance to win!

We work with Upromise and for many families and students struggling with today's economy, college tuition simply breaks the bank. Upromise is offering a creative opportunity for future, current and even recent graduates to win $10,000 toward higher education expenses.

The Tuition Tales video contest launches on March 24 and runs through May 3, and encourages people to submit a 30-second video entry at www.tuition-tales.com. The videos will be judged on creativity, quality and a demonstrated need for help paying for college. One contestant in each of three categories – Saving for College, In College Now and Paying it Back – will win $10,000 for college education expenses. Twelve finalists will win a $250 Bed Bath & Beyond® gift card and $250 Bank of America Visa Check Card.

The top 12 videos will be selected by a combination of online votes and a panel of judges. Once selected, all 12 finalists will be posted online and the public will vote (May 13 – 19) to determine which Tuition Tales video wins in each category. Contestants must be at least 18 years old to enter and can submit entries on behalf of themselves, a family member or friend.

To see last year’s winning video, let me know and I will send it your way. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 561-998-1995 or email me at jguzman@tilsonpr.com

Good luck!

Jackie Guzman

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Honeywell and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Announce Fourth Annual Search for America's 'Safest Teachers'

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) today announced the launch of the fourth annual Got 2B Safe! Awards program, designed to encourage teachers at elementary schools nationwide to help their students learn valuable and potentially life-saving lessons. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 797,500 children younger than 18 were reported missing during a one year period, an average of 2,185 children reported missing each day.

Got 2B Safe! provides teachers child safety teaching tools and rewards teachers who develop the most creative lesson plans are with big prizes. Five teachers win a classroom makeover worth $10,000 and 100 teachers win $500 worth of school supplies. Makeovers include an overall redesign of the classroom with themes chosen by the teachers, and materials including Got 2B Safe! artwork. The Got 2B Safe! Awards program will be open until March 23, 2009. Educators can log on to www.got2bsafe.com for more information about the contest and to submit a brief essay emphasizing the Got 2B Safe! Four Rules of Safety.

"It is crucial to arm our children with positive, empowering skills to help them recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations," said Tom Buckmaster, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "Participation in the Got 2B Safe! Awards program gives teachers an opportunity to educate their students, parents and community to be smarter about personal safety."

Since 2003, Honeywell and NCMEC have worked together on Got 2B Safe!. The program fills a critical gap -- no other nationwide abduction prevention program exists for schools. Got 2B Safe! focuses on educating eight- to ten-year-olds and their families on how to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation. It arms teachers, parents and guardians with tools to keep children safer. To date, Got 2B Safe! has been distributed to 240,000 principals and teachers, and more than 72,000 schools in the United States- reaching an estimated five million students.

"Teaching children about personal safety should be a priority," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. "We are excited to be working with Honeywell on the Got 2B Safe! Awards program, to educate teachers, children and the community-at-large about how to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation."

Got 2B Safe! teaches simple rules to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation through the Got 2B Safe! Four Rules of Safety:

-- Check First -- Children should always check with parents and guardians
before accepting gifts, rides, or invitations from anyone, including
friends, acquaintances and people they don't know.
-- Go With a Friend -- Simple and straightforward -- never go anywhere
alone. Being with another person in public is safer and more fun.
-- It's My Body - Teach your children they have the right to say NO to
any unwelcome, uncomfortable, or confusing touch or actions by others.
-- Tell a Trusted Adult -- Teach your children to TELL a trusted adult --
parent, guardian, teacher, etc. -- if anyone or anything makes them
feel scared, uncomfortable or confused.


"Having taught in a variety of different environments and witnessing all types of abuse and neglect, I've always tried to incorporate a unit on safety in my classroom," said Jessica Beamon, a 2008 Grand Prize winner. "The simple Got 2B Safe! rules clearly resonate with my students and help educate them to make safe choices."

Makeovers include an overall redesign of the classroom with themes chosen by the teachers, and safety materials including Got 2B Safe! artwork. Additional information is available at www.got2bsafe.com.

The Got 2B Safe! program has won eight awards within the corporate social responsibility industry. It is a signature program of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on four areas: Family Safety & Security; Housing & Shelter; Science & Math Education; and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and non-profit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. Honeywell also partners with NASA on FMA Live!, a hip hop science education program; and Rebuilding Together on home revitalization projects for low-income homeowners.

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Students Can Explore Nature's 'Gifts' in Poster Contest

Teachers and students across Georgia are invited to discover “Nature’s Gifts: The Plants and Animals of Georgia” by taking part in the annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest. What do students hear, smell or see in their schoolyard, backyard or community park? Was it frogs, whip-poor-wills, cicadas or even a bat? Turn these sights and sounds into artwork and enter the 19th annual conservation art contest. The deadline for entries in the state-level contest is March 9.

The contest is open to all kindergarten through 5th-grade students in public schools, private schools and home school. Participants enter at the local school level with drawings that depict their observations of Georgia’s native plants and animals. Top school-level entries proceed to the state contest at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens. First-, second- and third-place winners are chosen there for four divisions: kindergarten, first and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth grade.

The top 12 winners will be showcased in the 2009-2010 Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest calendar. All state-level contest entries will be on display at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield from March 21-April 4.

This year’s competition theme, “Nature’s Gifts: The Plants and Animals of Georgia,” showcases Georgia’s magnificent plants and animals and their unique interactions by which they thrive and call this state home. In the wild, animals’ survival depends heavily on plants, and in most cases, plants need the assistance of animals to survive as well.

Whether in the schoolyard or the backyard, students can illustrate all the out-of-doors has to offer while learning more about Georgia’s nongame plants and animals – nature’s gifts to Georgia! The artwork might reflect the melodies of birds and insects, or the chirps of frogs and hoots of owls at a nearby pond. What do the trees and soil feel like?

With a touch of creativity and color, these sights and sounds can be transformed into magnificent artwork that depicts wildlife in their native Georgia habitat.

2009 poster contest sponsors include the Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Environmental Resources Network Inc. (T.E.R.N.), the friends group of the Wildlife Resources Division.

Visit www.georgiawildlife.com (click “Get Involved” and the “Wildlife Poster Contest” link) or www.uga.edu/botgarden for contest rules, entry forms and further information about the Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest.

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Now Debate This Announces 'The 100-Day Presidential Challenge'

/PRNewswire/ -- Now Debate This, America's only national online educational debate and $250,000 high school scholarship contest, announced a new, exciting competition to the 2009 program year to coincide with President-Elect Obama's first 100 days in the White House: "The 100-Day Presidential Challenge." This competition will ask high school students from across America to research their communities' biggest energy problems, and develop Energy Solution Proposals they can implement at the local level. The winners will earn a $5,000 clean technology prize for their school or organization, and an opportunity to share ideas with national experts, such as members of President Obama's cabinet, Congress, and the energy industry.

"In selecting the 2009 Now Debate This topic, 'U.S. Energy Independence,' we see a new opportunity to galvanize the power of America's youth to solve the country's most pressing problems," said Mary L. Hagy, Founder and Executive Producer of Now Debate This, based in Philadelphia. "We challenge all high school students to first, understand the history and context of their community's energy issues, and second, to propose viable solutions to their local problems."

Now Debate This (www.nowdebatethis.com), in partnership with the National Forensic League Speech and Debate Honor Society (NFL), presents "The 100-Day Presidential Challenge" as part of its 2009 program theme, "How can the U.S. achieve energy independence?"

"The timing of the 100-Day Presidential Challenge could not be better," said J. Scott Wunn, Executive Director of the NFL, based in Ripon, WI. Established in 1925, NFL is the nation's oldest and largest high school speech and debate organization. "The 2009 national tournament topic is alternative energy, so students, teachers and coaches are already studying and debating the issue all over the country. The 100-Day Challenge focuses that existing effort on creating viable solutions."

Students will identify and research their communities' most pressing energy problems through the creation of a timeline with background information and develop actionable plans to resolve the problems, including an economic and feasibility assessment. The contest will begin at 12:00:01 Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2009 and close at 12:00:01 Eastern Standard Time, April 30, 2009.

Entries will be judged on creativity, historical research and analysis, the written proposal and accompanying video, documentation and feasibility. Judging panels will be convened by Now Debate This, comprised of representatives from education, non-profit, business, industry, technology and/or government sectors. Winners will be announced in May 2009.

In order to be eligible for "The 100-Day Presidential Challenge," high school student groups must:

-- Create a project web page on the Now Debate This Confab site. The
students will use this page to communicate their work through blog
entries, photos, videos, news articles and other appropriate
presentations. Judging will include evaluation of the content
generated on the group's page.
-- Research the history of energy usage in their communities, and develop
a timeline that includes the key actors and actions in their
community's energy use, as well as an explanation of the scope of the
problem today. Students must upload the timeline on their Now Debate
This Confab web page.
-- Create a SMART Energy Solution Proposal detailing the project and how
it will be accomplished. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Results-oriented, and Time frame. Student groups will use
these five categories to analyze the feasibility and economic efficacy
of the Energy Solution Proposal. The written proposal should be
accompanied by a video presentation of no more than 90 seconds, which
describes the problem and demonstrates why the students' idea poses
the best solution. Video presentations will be uploaded to YouTube.com
and SchoolTube.com.


Now Debate This launched its 2009 program on November 14, 2008 at the National Social Studies Conference in Houston. The 2009 program will consist of three competitions: "The 100-Day Presidential Challenge," "President Prep Time Essay Contest," which prompts students to write the new President about the issues they consider most important, and the "Now Debate This Scholarship Program" for high school juniors to compete for $250,000 in college scholarship money. The scholarship program will issue a call for video entry submissions to be posted to YouTube.com and SchoolTube.com in late February, 2009. The 16 semi-finalists are scheduled to be announced in May, with a summer travel study program beginning in late June, ending with the debate tournament in August.

Now Debate This is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Forensic League, National History Day, the National Park Service and institutional and private partners including the United Nations Foundation.

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Make Money This Holiday: Do You Qualify for AFSA's Scholarship Contest?

/PRNewswire/ -- Whether Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas, the holidays are a time of goodwill, cheer, and above all, giving. Therefore in the spirit of the season, the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is spreading its goodwill and cheer by giving back to the community.

This Dallas-based trade group is calling for high school seniors to enter to win $20,000 in scholarships in its National Scholarship Contest, http://www.afsascholarship.org/. So with time off for the holidays, what better time for students to apply for scholarships, like AFSA's National Scholarship Contest, in hopes of winning one of life's most treasured gifts: an education?

More exciting than a Reindeer sweater, AFSA's National Scholarship Contest is the gift that keeps giving, guaranteed to give $20,000 this year, and that money can go a long way to put dreams of a further education within reach. Since 1996, AFSA has provided nearly a quarter of a million dollars in scholarships to help fulfill the educational dreams of students from across the nation.

This online contest is unlike many traditional scholarships. That's because instead of writing an essay, applicants will read one. That's right! To apply, students go online and read a short essay about sprinklers and fire safety. After finishing, they complete a ten-question quiz on what they just read. Each correct answer gives the student a chance at winning one of ten $2,000 scholarships (maximum 10 chances per entrant).

To be eligible, applicants must be a high school senior during the 2008-2009 academic year who will attend a U.S. college, university or trade school in fall 2009. Winners are randomly selected to receive a scholarship payable one-time directly to their respective institution of higher learning.

Year after year, students die in campus-related fires. Through this scholarship, AFSA hopes to create greater awareness - and therefore, a safer future - by educating students who otherwise may not recognize the importance of fire safety.

The AFSA Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens and legal residents. Deadline to entries is April 1, 2009. For details or to apply, visit http://www.afsascholarship.org/.

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Holocaust Center Sponsors Art, Writing Contest for Georgia Students

The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and the Thomas B. Murphy Holocaust Teacher Training and Resource Center are sponsoring a statewide art and writing contest for Georgia middle and high school students.

The Holocaust Resource Center, located in the Ingram Library on the University of West Georgia campus, is sponsored by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and is the only public institution of its kind in the country.

“The Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Art and Writing Contest teaches lessons about the dangers of hate and discrimination,” said Secretary of State Karen Handel. “I thank the commission for their diligence in promoting the importance of moral courage and for their continued sponsorship of this contest. This competition provides an opportunity for students to study history and apply these lessons to current events through writing and art.”

In its 14th year, the contest is a cooperative effort between the state Department of Education and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. Students may submit artwork and writing entries that cover the theme of “What are the Lessons of the Holocaust?”

Writing entries will be judged on content, originality, quality of expression and historical accuracy. Art entries will be judged on creativity, artistic excellence and thematic content. The contest submission form can be downloaded at www.holocaust.georgia.gov.

Winning students and their teachers will be awarded at the state capitol during the official state observance of the Days of Remembrance program on April 24. Four students and their teachers will receive a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., for their first place awards.

All art and writing entries must be postmarked no later than March 13 and sent to: Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, Thomas B. Murphy Center, Ingram Library, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 30118.

For more contest information, call 404-370-3056 or visit www.holocaust.georgia.gov. For more information on the Holocaust Resource Center, visit www.westga.edu/~holocaust or call 678-839-6350.

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Georgia College Students Invited to Enter 2009 Agnes Scott Writers' Festival Contest

Georgia college and university students may submit creative writing entries to the 2009Agnes Scott College Writers’ Festival contest until Dec. 15, 2008.

“The Writers' Festival contest is an opportunity for student writers to get their work critiqued by internationally known novelists, poets, dramatists and essayists; to see their work published in a beautiful magazine; to make connections with other outstanding student writers throughout the state and incidentally to win a fairly large cash prize,” says Rachel Trousdale, associate professor of English and contact for writers submitting their work.

The annual Writers’ Festival will be held March 26 -27 at Agnes Scott College. Featured writers Anita Desai and Junot Diaz will give a joint reading in Gaines Chapel March 26 at 8 p.m. and Memye Curtis Tucker, an Agnes Scott graduate, will read from her work at 10 a.m. in the Winter Theatre March 27. Pulitzer-nominated playwright Quiara Hudes, who wrote the book for “In the Heights,” 2008's Tony winner for Best Musical, will join the visiting writers to judge the competition and lead workshops for the finalists.

A first place prize of $500 will be awarded to each winner selected in four categories: creative nonfiction, fiction, playwriting and poetry. Finalists will be notified in January and their work will be published in the festival magazine in March. After a congratulatory luncheon on campus, winners will be invited to a workshop led by one of the visiting professional writers.

The Writers’ Festival contest accepts entries from students enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate program in a college or university in Georgia. Previously published work is not accepted and writers retain copyright after it appears in the festival magazine. Writers may submit materials in multiple genres and must conform to all of the guidelines to be considered. Entrants should send submissions to Rachel Trousdale, 2009 Agnes Scott College Writers Festival Contest, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, Ga. 30030. All entries must be postmarked by the deadline, Dec 15, 2008. Guidelines can be reviewed by visiting the Agnes Scott Web site at:

http://www.agnesscott.edu/events/writersfestival/creativewritingcompetition.aspx .

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Enter for a Chance to Win the Ultimate VIP Fan Experience to the Georgia Tech/UGA Rivalry Game

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Path2College 529 Plan’s VIP Fan Experience Sweepstakes is still open for a final chance to win the Georgia Tech versus University of Georgia ultimate game package to the rivalry game played this year at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on November 29, 2008. Entries must be received online by November 16.

The Ultimate VIP game package includes four tickets to the rivalry game on November 29, limousine transportation to and from the game, pre-game hospitality and sideline passes, two game programs, four game t-shirts and a football autographed by either Head Coach Paul Johnson or Head Coach Mark Richt.

Anyone who has already registered for the Vanderbilt/UGA or Duke/Georgia Tech game packages will automatically be entered for a chance to win. Georgia Tech and UGA fans that have not registered still have until November 16 to enter for their chance to win. The winner of the Ultimate VIP Fan Experience will be announced on November 17.

The sweepstakes, sponsored by the Path2College 529 Plan, Georgia’s official 529 college savings plan, is open to all Georgia residents*. The contest is free and no purchase is necessary. Visit www.path2college529.com for sweepstakes rules and to register for the drawing.

The launch of the sweepstakes coincided with September’s designation by Governor Sonny Perdue as College Savings Month in Georgia. To kick off College Savings Month, the Path2College 529 Plan teamed up with the football programs at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech to help raise awareness about Georgia’s 529 college savings plan.

Any funds in a Path2College 529 Plan account can be used for tuition, fees, and other qualified college expenses at virtually all colleges in Georgia and nationwide. Contributions made to an account in the Path2College 529 Plan are eligible for the Georgia state income tax deduction and any earnings grow federal and state income tax free. Withdrawals are also tax-free when used for qualified college expenses.

For more information on the Path2College 529 Plan, or to register for the VIP Fan Experience Sweepstakes, visit: www.path2college529.com. Void where prohibited.

* Sweepstakes is also open to all who were Path2College 529 Plan account owners as of 8/25/08, regardless of state of residence.

Consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing in the Path2College 529 Plan. Please visit www.path2college529.com for a Disclosure Booklet containing this and other information. Read it carefully.

Before investing in a 529 plan, you should consider whether the state you or your Beneficiary reside in or have taxable income in has a 529 plan that offers favorable state income tax or other benefits that are only available if you invest in that state’s 529 plan.

Account value in the Investment Options is not guaranteed and will fluctuate based upon a number of factors, including general market conditions.

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