Science Essay Contest: High School

Entry Guidelines

• The SACP High School Essay Contest is open to all students in grades 10 through 12.
• All information requested on the entry form must be included.
• The essay should have no more than 2500 characters. The essay is to be in prose (no poetry please), and be the independent work of the student. Any essay containing plagiarized material will result in rejection of the essay.
• Student essays must be submitted by a faculty member of the student’s school.
• No individual school may submit more than two essays in the high school contest.
• Failure to comply with these instructions may result in a scoring penalty or rejection of the essay.

Essay Topics:

Select ONE topic for submission. Cite all references in MLA format. 

1) What is the impact of microplastics on marine ecosystems and human health? Identify alternatives to plastic and describe which industry applications they can be used in.

2) The availability of generative artificial intelligence has recently exploded. How can scientists use these tools to facilitate their work? What ethical and legal considerations should be taken when utilizing artificial intelligence?

Awards

1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $300
3rd Place: $200
Honorable Mentions (10 each): $100

We are no longer accepting submissions. The next topic will be available in August.