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National Solar Education Competition


Teachers of Middle-School Age Students


A middle school team's experiment will soon be selected from entries received (by the September 30, 2009, deadline), and it will be conducted on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., October 13, during the week of the Solar Decathlon.

What Is the Solar Decathlon?

The Solar Decathlon is a competition among 20 college and university teams to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. The Solar Decathlon is also an event to which the public is invited to observe the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency, and the best in home design. The competition will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., October 9-18, 2009.

What Is the National Solar Education Competition?

This year, for the first time, the National Education Association is working with the Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® program to introduce students and educators to the Solar Decathlon and the importance of energy efficiency. The National Solar Education Competition is an opportunity for teams of public middle school (grades 6-9) students and their teacher sponsor to submit their ideas for a solar experiment or demonstration. The selected experiment or demonstration will be conducted on the National Mall on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, during Solar Education Day, when thousands of middle-school students will be visiting the Solar Decathlon. The winning team will be announced on YouTube and elsewhere.

Guidelines for Entering the National Solar Education Competition (now closed)

Public school teachers, with teams of up to 10 middle-school age students (grades 6-9), submit solar experiments or demonstrations.

Prizes
Each member of the winning team (up to 10 students) will receive an iPod Nano (1 GB). The teacher will win an ENERGY STAR-qualified Danby designer compact refrigerator (4.4 cu. ft.) and a Danby designer microwave oven (.7 cu. ft.) for the teachers’ lounge or classroom use, subject to local regulation.

The teacher will provide his or her contact information, including name, school, mailing address, email address, and telephone number(s), as well as team information. The teacher of the winning team will be asked to submit claim forms, signed by the students’ parents, so that the students’ prizes may be mailed to them.

Entry Submissions
All entries must be submitted by email. See the National Solar Education Competition Email Entry for a list of required information, which includes the following:

1. A description of the solar experiment or demonstration (up to 300 words)—written by the team—including:

  • Materials used (must be readily accessible)
  • Procedure
  • Outcome

2. A description of the activity (up to 300 words)—written by the teacher—including:

  • Content objectives (identify what the students should know and be able to do at the end of the experiment/demonstration)
  • The questions that were important in clarifying the thinking of the students and in pushing the limits of student understanding
  • The ways this activity supports students in thinking about saving energy and/or using the sun to generate it

Optional: One photo (jpeg or gif file) may also be included if it clarifies the activity, Videos will not be accepted or considered.

Submit all entry information to solarexperiment@nea.org by midnight (EDT), Wednesday, September 30, 2009.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is sponsoring the National Solar Education Competition?
National Education Association and the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program are co-sponsoring this student competition to stimulate interest in energy efficiency and the use of solar power.

Why are we limited to 10 students on the team?
Because it’s a DECATHON and 10 is the magic number. Plus, we only have 10 IPods to give away!

Who will make the final decision about who wins?
The final decision will be made by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® staff, in consultation with NEA staff.

Who is providing the prizes?
Prizes are being provided by Solar Decathlon corporate sponsors.

What is the deadline for submissions?
Submissions must be received by midnight (EDT), Wednesday, September 30, 2009.


To learn more about the Solar Decathlon, visit the Solar Decathlon Web site.


Support for this project is provided by Danby, Electrolux, Nationwide Marketing Group, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Dell, and Duke Energy.