Frances Karnes - The Best Competitions for Talented Kids: Win Scholarships, Big Prize Money, and Recognition

About the Authors

Frances A. Karnes, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor of curriculum, instruction, and special education at The University of Southern Mississippi and director of the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies. She is widely known for her research, writing, innovative program developments, and service activities in gifted education and leadership training. She is author or coauthor of more than 200 articles and coauthor or coeditor of 71 books on gifted education and related areas. Dr. Karnes is the former president of The Association for the Gifted and is the founder and first president of the Mississippi Association for Gifted Children, and she has served on the board of the National Association for Gifted Children. Honors include a Faculty Research Award, granted by The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association; an honorary doctor of education degree from her alma mater Quincy University; and an award presented by the Mississippi Legislature for outstanding contributions to academic excellence in higher education. She has received the Power of One Award bestowed by the governor of Mississippi and was named one of 50 female business leaders by the Mississippi Business Journal. In 2007, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The University of Southern Mississippi.

Tracy L. Riley, Ph.D., is an associate professor who specializes in gifted and talented education. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the field in addition to supervising postgraduate research. Tracy is the coeditor of APEX: The New Zealand Journal of Gifted Education and is on the editorial board of Gifted Child Today. An active advocate for gifted and talented students, Tracy has served on numerous Ministry of Education advisory groups and has coauthored the Ministry handbook, Gifted and Talented Students: Meeting Their Needs in New Zealand Schools. She publishes and presents widely at both national and international levels. In 2007, Tracy was awarded the Vice-Chancellors Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching and was the recipient of a national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award. Tracy is a member of the executive committee of the Ako Aoteoroa Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence and is chairperson of the board for giftEDnz, The Professional Association for Gifted Education.

Copyright 2013, Prufrock Press Inc.

Edited by Rachel Taliaferro

Cover and layout design by Raquel Trevino

ISBN-13: 978-1-61821-130-9

No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and websites URLs are accurate and active. All publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in the book, and all have been verified. The authors and Prufrock Press Inc. make no warranty or guarantee concerning the information and materials given out by organizations or content found at websites, and we are not responsible for any changes that occur after this books publication. If you find an error, please contact Prufrock Press Inc.

For our grandchildren,
Mary Ryan, Mo, Emma, Brooks, and Betsy Karnes and Preston Gowland-Riley, and for all other children and youth who celebrate their talents through competition. May each of you use every opportunity available to become the best possible you!

Introduction

competitions: what you should know

Have you ever created a great invention, worked on a science experiment, written an intriguing mystery, developed a webpage, or led a service project for your community? Through competitions, you can use your skills and win in many ways. Entering competitions can be a fun and exciting part of your life.

Competition has become the backbone of our society. Adults engage in informal and formal competition nearly every day. Yet, only in the last two to three decades have competitions at the national level been available to youth. When young people participate in competitions, they are preparing to be productive adults.

There are a variety of national and international competitions identified in this book. There likely will be several in which youll want to participate. You will discover great things about competitions. By participating, you will learn more about yourself and your special talents and abilities. Academic talents, such as those in language arts, science, mathematics, and social studies, as well as talents in the fine and performing arts (e.g., drawing, painting, theater, and photography), can be further developed. Leadership and service learning in your school and community offer special opportunities to get involved. Most competitions in this book are open to any student, but a few require membership in an organization. Whatever your interests, this book offers a variety of competitions in which to participate.

who will benefit from this book

This book is written for elementary and secondary students. However, there are others who will also benefit from using it. Teachers will want to know the wide variety of competitions available and how to prepare their students to compete. Parents will find the number and variety of competitions of interest and will find the specifics provided helpful in assisting their children in making appropriate choices for competing. Guidance counselors and school librarians will be able to use the information to help students find appropriate outlets for their talents, as will youth group directors wanting to involve students in a wide variety of positive endeavors. Share this book with teachers, parents, or other adults who can help you and your friends become involved in competitions.

how competitions were selected for this book

Competitions for elementary and secondary students focusing on academics, creativity, fine and performing arts, leadership, and service learning were selected for inclusion in this book. Although there are many ways to compete within your community and state, we thought having information on national competitions would help you to know about alternate ways in which to participate. It was important that most of the competitions listed have no entrance fee, although some do require one. Much time and effort were given to locating the listed competitions. Competition sponsors also had the opportunity to submit information about their event. A few competitions chose not to be included or were uncertain of their funding for the future. If you know of competitions not listed here, please let us know for the next edition.

how to use this book

This book is divided into three sections. Part I includes 150 competitions ranging from mythology to visual arts. The competitions are listed in alphabetical order. Part II is a Competitions Journal, which provides reproducible pages for you to record your ideas about competitions. You will have an opportunity to set goals for competition, reflect upon your feelings, and investigate new areas of interest. Part III is a list of resources that will help you as you prepare for competitions. There are books that offer everything, from how to give a speech to how to sharpen your skills as a photographer.