ELIGIBILITY: Discovery Education's "Young Scientist Challenge" ("Contest") is open to all legal U.S. residents who are students enrolled in 5th through 8th grade at a public, private, parochial, or home schools located in one of the fifty states or the District of Columbia. Former Young Scientist Challenge finalists are eligible to enter unless they previously won the 1st Place prize or an individual discretionary award, and provided such students are enrolled in 5th through 8th grade. In addition, in order to be considered eligible, students must comply with the safety guidelines set forth below ("Safety Guidelines"). Employees, officers and directors of Discovery Education (the "Sponsor"), its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising agencies, promotional suppliers, and Faraday Studios (the "Judges"), their immediate family members (spouse, siblings, and children, regardless of where they live) or members of the same households (whether related or not) of such employees, officers and directors are not eligible. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited.
CONTEST PERIOD: The Contest period commences on February 5, 2008 and expires at 7:59 PM EST on June 15, 2008.
BRIEF CONTEST DESCRIPTION: Eligible students shall have the opportunity to create a video that communicates one of the scientific concepts outlined in Section 5 below. For a student to officially enter the Contest, the student must be registered as described below and his/her video must be uploaded between March 1, 2008 and 8:00 PM EST on June 15, 2008. Limit one entry per student. The student with the highest score from each state, including the District of Columbia, will be considered a semifinalist (51 in total). Of the 51 semifinalist, the ten (10) with the highest overall scores will be selected as finalists and will compete for the Grand Prize (described below).
TO REGISTER AND ENTER: Starting on February 5, 2008, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist, click on the Contest banner, tile or link and follow the on-screen directions to complete the on-line entry form by entering your zip code and by providing your parent or legal guardian's email address ("Entry Request"). Then submit this information in accordance with the on-screen instructions during the Contest Period. Important: In the Entry Request you must provide your zip code and your parent or legal guardian's valid, verifiable email address. Sponsor will send an email to your parent or guardian advising him/her of your attempt to enter this Contest. In that parental email notification your parent/guardian will be given the opportunity to consent/authorize your entry into this Contest by completing and electronically signing the consent form that is generated by clicking on the consent form link in the email ("Consent Form"). This Consent Form from your parent/legal guardian must be emailed and received, in accordance with the directions found in the form, by no later than 6:59 P.M. ET on June 15, 2008. Once the parent/guardian submits the Consent Form, a registration page will appear on-line as a separate pop-up window ("Registration Page"), and the parent/guardian must complete the information requested in the Registration Page by no later than 7:30 P.M. ET on June 15, 2008, which includes without limitation, the student's full name, home address, home phone, email address, birth date, age, gender, school grade, parent/legal guardian's name and email address, school information and local media information. In addition, the Registration Page will offer a check box for the parent / guardian to select whether the student has been nominated to participate in this Contest through a Science Fair or State Science Olympiad. Once the parent/guardian submits the Registration Page by clicking send, the parent/guardian will be prompted to set up a username and password for the student. Username and password confirmation will be sent to both parent/guardian and student at the emails provided in the Registration Form. The student shall use his/her username and password in order to submit his/her video.
If your parent/legal guardian does not submit the Consent Form and the Registration Form by the applicable dates stated above, you will not be able to enter the Contest.
SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS
Each student must select one (1) of the following scientific concepts (each a "Scientific Concept" and collectively ("Scientific Concepts"):
(i) Design and implement an engaging method to demonstrate and explain the Doppler Effect. What is it? What information can be obtained from observing it in nature?
(ii) Demonstrate the nature of a parabola, paraboloid, or parabolic mirror. What is the importance of that shape to the space program, communications, or energy consumption issues?
(iii) Demonstrate and explain graphically, or with props, why the earth's sky appears blue. Use common, every day materials rather than professional scientific equipment.
(iv) Explain or demonstrate the nature of a space craft's orbital path. How was the orbit achieved? What sustains it? Provide a simple analogy; one understandable to a person with little or no knowledge of physics.
(v) Demonstrate a novel approach for explaining how the field around a conductor carrying an electric current, and the field around a magnet, can exert a force on each other. Be creative!
(vi) Explain and demonstrate either the Bernoulli Principle, or the Venturi Effect......or both! The windier or wetter the better.
VIDEO SUBMISSION
To enter, a student must submit one, and only one, entry video explaining and/or demonstrating one of the Scientific Concepts listed above in Section 5 (the "Entry Video").
The Entry Video must be longer than 60 seconds, but not longer than 120 seconds. The Entry Video must be the original work of the student. Only the student can appear in the Entry Video, no other individuals should be filmed. Students must work independently on the development of their video concept and must record their video with minimal help or direction from others. Entries WILL NOT be accepted which include non-student work.
To upload the Entry Video, the student must visit, during the Contest Period, www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist and login by using his/her username and password to enter the upload page. At the upload page the student will be prompted to upload his/her Entry Video and, if desired, to provide a photograph and brief biographical information. Entry Videos must be submitted as a Quicktime/MOV, WMV, MPEG, or AVI file on the Contest upload page. Completed Entry Videos must be received between March 1, 2008 and 8 PM EST on June 15, 2008. No entries will be accepted before or after such period.
Entry Video may not defame or invade the privacy or publicity rights of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon a person's personal or proprietary rights. No copyrighted material may be used in an entry video without proper permission from, and acknowledgement of, the copyright owner. Submissions that are deemed by the Judges in their sole discretion to be immoral, obscene, profane or not in keeping with Sponsor's image will be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entry at any time which, in the Sponsor's reasonable opinion, endangers the safety or well being of any person or in the event it is determined that the entrant has not complied with these Official Rules, including without limitation the Safety Guidelines. In addition to the Sponsors' right to do so at its discretion, the Judges will also be instructed to disqualify any entry that describes dangerous conduct, stunts or tricks, conduct that could lead to physical injury, property damage or otherwise violates or is inconsistent with these Official Rules. Other than for semifinalist and finalist notification, neither Sponsor, nor anyone acting on its behalf, will enter into any unsolicited communication with any entrant regarding this Contest, nor will entries be acknowledged or returned.
Participation in the Contest constitutes the student's and his/her parent's or guardian's full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules. By entering the Contest, the student and his/her parent or guardian warrants that the student's Entry Video is an original creation of the student's; has not been previously published or won any award; and that student and the parent or guardian is aware of no conflicting rights in the submission or claims to the submission, including but not limited to copyright or other intellectual property right.
JUDGING: There a four (4) rounds of judging:
Round 1: All entries will first be screened to ensure they meet the entry criteria. Students who meet the entry criteria will advance to Round 2. Students who have been nominated for this Contest at their State Science Olympiad and/or Science Fair will automatically advance to Round 2.
Round 2: Judges will then score each Entry Video. Students will be scored on their ability to understand and effectively communicate the Scientific Concept they have chosen for their Entry Video. Each Scientific Concept shall be treated equally. Scores will be broken down in to 5 areas:
The Judges will select a semifinalist from each state including the District of Columbia (51 semifinalists in total). The student with highest score from each state, including the District of Columbia, (according to this rubric) will be considered a semifinalist (51 in total). The 51 semifinalists will be announced on or about July 22, 2008.
Round 3: Of the 51 semifinalists, the ten (10) with the highest overall scores will be selected as the finalists and will be eligible for the Contest prizes. The 10 finalists will be announced on or about August 20, 2008. In the event of any ties, the overall presentation score will be used as a tiebreaker.
Round 4: On or about October 4 – 7, 2008, the 10 finalists will compete individually and in teams on a series of individual and team challenges, some of them in front of a live audience at a Washington, DC location to be determined by Sponsor. These age-appropriate challenges are developed and administered by head Judge, Steve Jacobs, science educator, and creator of "Jake's Attic" and founder of Faraday Studios. The finalists will be judged on their communication and scientific problem solving skills. Sponsor will not disclose the topics, challenges and judging criteria until October 4, 2008 or until the finals competition commences. The student who scores the highest score according to the judging criteria will be deemed the Grand Prize winner.
PRIZES:
51 Semifinalist Prizes: Each semifinalist will receive: $250 check, Contest certificate, Young Scientist Challenge Tee-shirt (ARV $10.00). In addition, his/her school will win a Contest plaque for his /her Middle School and a plaque for the Student's Teacher.
10 Finalist Prizes: All 10 finalists shall win the following:
* For the avoidance of doubt, the Grand Prize winner will also receive all of the semifinalist prizes, except for the $1000.00 check; instead he/she will win the $50,000 U.S. Savings Bond.
The semifinalists and finalists will be notified by email or by telephone (as provided on the Registration Page) and will be sent a claim form, which parent or legal guardian of the finalist will be required to sign and return to Sponsor. The Grand Prize winner will be notified at the Contest. In addition, each finalist will be sent an affidavit/documentation of eligibility and liability release, a federal and state tax release (if applicable), and a (where legal) publicity release. Parent or legal guardian of the finalist will be required to complete and return the aforementioned documents within 10 days of issuance of these documents to claim the finalist prize. Failure to timely complete and return the properly signed affidavit and releases or other prize documentation, or if a finalist chooses to decline a prize for any reason, or fails to comply with any requirement of these Official Rules, may result in the prize being forfeited. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable, or inability of Sponsor to contact finalist(s), may result in disqualification.
All taxes on prize and all expenses related to acceptance and use of the prize not specified are the sole responsibility of finalist/winner. By participating, entrants agree: [a] to these rules and decisions of Sponsor and Judges, which shall be final in all respects relating to the Contest; and [b] to release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind resulting from their participating in the Contest or their acceptance, use or misuse of a prize including, without limitation, personal injury, death and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, copyright, trademark, defamation or invasion of privacy. Based on releases/affidavits and the details of the Consent Form provided, entrants agree to grant Sponsor: [a] all rights of ownership, reproduction and use of entry and Entry Video for any purpose whatsoever without compensation or further permission, including but not limited to an irrevocable and perpetual, royalty-fee, worldwide right, in all media (now known or later developed) to assign, use, publish, edit, adapt, modify, alter, reproduce, distribute, broadcast, display, copyright, create derivative works or otherwise exploit entries, for commercial or non-commercial use; and if a winner, [b] to permit Sponsor to use his or her name, photograph, likeness, Video Entry, biographical information, voice, voice likeness, and city and state address for advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in all media, including but not limited to within Sponsor's websites in perpetuity, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) and agree to execute specific consent to such use upon request. Sponsor is not responsible for and shall not be liable for: [a] electronic, hardware or software program, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures, or difficulties of any kind, including without limitation, server malfunction or by any human error which may occur in the processing of entries; [b] failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions; [c] late, lost, misdirected or incomplete entries ; or [d] any condition caused by events beyond the control of the Sponsor that may cause the promotion to be disrupted or corrupted. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest or any portion thereof should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond the control of Sponsor corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest, and limit entries to those submitted prior to the action taken, or to proceed in such a manner as may be deemed fair and equitable by Sponsor in its sole discretion and to award the prize from all eligible entries received prior to such action taking place. No prize transfer or cash redemption. No prize substitution, in whole or in part, except by Sponsor due to prize unavailability, safety or security considerations, or any other reason as solely determined by Sponsor in which case a prize of comparable or greater value will be awarded. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Internet entry must be made at the authorized web site address of www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist. Entries may not be made by any other individual or any entity, and/or originating at any other Internet website or e-mail address, including but not limited to commercial contest and sweepstakes subscription notification and/or entering service sites. Any person who enters by any of the methods described above will be disqualified. Use of any device to automate entry is prohibited. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entry at any time in the event it is determined that the entrant has not complied with these Official Rules. This Contest is governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, with jurisdiction and venue in Montgomery County, Maryland, and all claims must be resolved in the courts of Montgomery County, Maryland.
WINNERS LIST: To receive the Grand Prize winner's name, mail a self-addressed, stamped envelope to be received by December 31, 2008, to: Young Scientist Challenge Winner List, One Discovery Place, HG 05 – 08K, Silver Spring, MD, 20910.
Sponsor: Discovery Education, Inc, One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910.