1. 2017 DISTRICT SECME FESTIVAL AND OLYMPIAD COMPETITION RULES
SECME: STEM Superheroes!

2. INTRODUCTION:
What makes you smile, gets you excited, makes you “do” something? What SECME activities that involve Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math do you find to be fun? Why are they fun? How can you make a living doing what you love to do? What kinds of careers use Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math? What level of education do you need to prepare you for these careers? This SECME competition will give you the opportunity to explore this year’s SECME National Student Competition theme “SECME:STEM Superheroes!”

3. COMPETITION TASK:
All exploration requires going to where you have never gone before. This competition asks you to embark on a personal exploration and use your SECME experiences to guide you as you carefully research, plan, and deliver a well-written essay that reflects you have searched and discovered your own answers as to what STEMulates you in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Be prepared to have fortitude while you gather your information, resolve as you structure your essay, and diligence as you make your essay the best it can be.

4. PROCESS:
Be prepared to use technology to travel to places around the world and beyond.
Be prepared to broaden your world of possibilities.
Be prepared to think about your future in different ways.
Be prepared to explain how your personal journey of discovery has helped you.

5. PROCESS:
Your exploration will be divided into five phases and your essay will be proof that your journey was successful.
Phase 1: Interest Inventory
Phase 2: Career Search
Phase 3: Education Search
Phase 4: Persuasion
Phase 5: Essay Checklist, Form Completion, and Submission

6. PROCESS: Be prepared to be vigilant in following all instructions.
Only those entries that have been attentive to the SECME Essay Competition Guidelines will be considered for awards.
Each essay entry is to be prepared and submitted by an individual student (not a team).

7. WHAT DO YOU NEED? A willingness to discover Access to the Internet
A Planning and Building Journal (to write down all the information you find)
Your imagination
…Are you ready?

8. DUE DATES
Be sure to submit each phase by the evening of the following dates. All submissions should be sent via . Hard copies, including your journal, are due Friday, December 2nd.
MONDAY, NOV. 21 PHASE 1: Interest Inventory
WEDNESDAY, NOV 23 PHASE 2: Career Search
SATURDAY, NOV 26 PHASE 3: Education Search
MONDAY, NOV 28 PHASE 4: Persuasion
THURSDAY, DEC 1 PHASE 5: Essay Checklist, Form Completion, and Submission