Education
The NEXTRANS Center at Purdue University is sponsoring a high school essay competition for students residing in Indiana. The goal of this contest is to encourage students to consider how integral transportation is to the future of Indiana and our nation, and potentially interest them in pursuing transportation-related careers and/or higher education in the field.
Background:
President Obama has emphasized how vitally important transportation is to our nation’s future. In addition to creating jobs by investing in America’s transportation infrastructure, improving highway, air, ship, and rail travel helps people and goods to move more efficiently, allowing businesses to prosper and saving average Americans time and money. At the same time, better public transit systems, more fuel-efficient cars, and less-congested roadways can help protect the environment, and move the U.S. towards energy independence.
Essay Topic:
Why is transportation important to the future of Indiana? What transportation challenges is our state facing, and how might we solve them?
Guidance:
Consider Indiana’s geographic location, its current transportation systems, and economic characteristics. You may focus on a single transportation challenge, discuss several challenges facing one or more modes of transportation (public transit, highways, ports, etc.), or focus thematically on economic , safety, and/or environmental concerns. Be sure to offer potential solutions to one or more of these problems, and consider how new technologies are being implemented in the transportation field. While you should explore how Indiana is affected by, or influences the nation at large, be sure to focus the bulk of your essay on Indiana in particular.
How to Enter:
Please submit a clear, well-organized, and well-researched essay of up to 1500 words adhering to the topic: “Why is transportation important to the future of Indiana? What transportation challenges is our state facing, and how might we solve them?”
* Entries must be typed in 12-point font with one-inch margins, printed on one side.
* Please staple entries, include page numbers and a title.
* Student’s name should not appear on the essay itself.
* On a separate cover sheet, please provide the following information:
Name
Contact information (address, phone, email)
Current grade in school
Name and location of high school
Please mail these materials to:
NEXTRANS 2009 High School Essay Competition
2700 Kent Avenue, B100
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Phone: (765) 496-9729
Fax: (765) 807-3123
nextrans@purdue.edu
Eligibility / Rules:
* All public, private, and home-schooled high school students (grades 9—12) currently residing in Indiana are eligible to enter.
* All entries must clearly adhere to the given topic.
* They should be focused, grammatically correct, and well-proofread. Entries must be no more than 1500 words.
* Entrants that incorporate outside research must carefully and responsibly cite sources both in-text and on a works cited page. Please adhere to the formatting guidelines of The Chicago Manual of Style. Failure to responsibly cite information and ideas obtained from outside sources will result in disqualification.
* Student’s name should not appear on the essay itself.
* No electronic submissions will be accepted. No entry form or fee is required.
* If you would like your entry returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Entries without a SASE will be recycled.
*All entries must be previously unpublished. Winning entry will be published online and in the NEXTRANS Center’s newsletter.
Additional questions may be directed to Jessica Mehr at the NEXTRANS Center via phone (765-496-9734) or email (jmehr@purdue.edu)
