It seems that people are taking notice of the homeschool community more and more these days. Not only has Academic Superstore singled a few homeschool blogs out to gain awareness for their products, but other retailers and companies are following suit! I was contacted by someone from Sealed Air (the makers of Bubble Wrap) and they want to make sure the homeschool community knows about their upcoming 'Young Inventors Competition'.It is great to see companies embrace homeschooling as equal with public and private schools. It is good to know that corporate America is "Thinking Outside the Box". I hope that many homeschoolers will enter this contest. My children are sadly too young this year to do so. Winners will receive up to $10,000 in savings bonds as well as a trip to New York City! Read below for full details and make sure to pass the word on!
Are You America’s Next Great Inventor?
Sealed Air Launches 1st ‘Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors’
What: Sealed Air Corporation, the creator of Bubble Wrap® cushioning, is sponsoring the first-ever Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors to encourage students in grades 5-8 to demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates the use of Bubble Wrap® cushioning.
When: The deadline for entries is December 8, 2006. Three finalists will win a three-day trip to New York City, where the Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, January 29, 2007.
Prizes: The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $10,000 savings bond, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $5,000 and $3,000 respectively in savings bonds. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will receive a $500 gift card.
Background: Bubble Wrap® cushioning was invented in 1960 by Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, and was originally intended to be used as textured wallpaper; however, the two inventors quickly realized it was actually a superior cushioning material and went on to found Sealed Air Corporation, now a global, Fortune 500 company that offers a wide range of packaging solutions and has annual sales in excess of $4 billion.
Sealed Air is widely recognized for its strong commitment to innovation and continues to be an industry leader in research and development.
How to Enter: Young Inventors must be students in grades 5 to 8 for the school year 2006-2007. Original inventions must incorporate the use of Bubble Wrap® cushioning. Entries must include a visual and written description that includes the name of the invention, the purpose it serves, how it works, and how the idea was formulated. The description must be no more than 1,000 words.
Web site: http://nmoe.org/bubblewrap/index.html
Contest Contact: Email info@nmoe.org
Buzz Words: contest, blogs, contests, blogging, education, teaching, homeschooling, homeschool, parenting, learning, academic, fun, school, bloggers, bubble, lesson plans, win, December, technology, free, give away, prizes, inventions, science, students
11 comments:
I agree that it's great - there is such a strong homeschooling network online between blogs, message boards, websites, etc. It's nice to see companies recognizing the market as well - because it is definitely there, and growing fast, imo! I looked at the Academic Superstore site, and it's nice that they offer discounts to parents as well as teachers and students - definitely allows you easier access to their stuff. :D
It is nice to be recognized. I receive a lot of these things as well. Too many sometimes. It seems as though many marketers have found a great way to get the word out about their products inexpensively. It's a balance between wanting to promote the great things that are happening and somebody just wanting cheap advertising.
When I said it was nice to be recognized, I meant the homeschool community not me on my blog.
Catch up Lady - Yes, the homeschool community is wonderful... like the Christian Community.
Spunky - Yes, there have been quite a few emails I have just deleted. This one seemed nice, though - like a Science Fair of sorts... for the kids that like to "invent" things. I sure like to see businesses embracing homeschoolers, though. That means they are on our side (somewhat). What bothers me is stuff like what Ebay recently pulled. I knew what you meant in your "nice to be recognized" statement. I'm sure you haven't let all that blog traffic go to your pretty head yet, have you?!?
Neat! Kudos for getting noticed by the big guys! Yes homeschoolers are indeed being noticed and romanced by institutions who want good people because home schoolers have more than proved themselves for more than a generation. It's one of those immutable laws of God that when you excel and sow seeds in many venues, you are bound to be blessed and sought after. Home schoolers are reaping the rewards of receiving excellent, well rounded educations in moral, uplifting, positive and loving environments. Is it any wonder homeschoolers are sought out by those who need good people?
Yes, I have let it get to my head. Remeber to some we're all a bunch of "homeschool snobs"! Thank God for negative commenters and my own children or my ego would be huge!
Too bad they are not allowing color bubble wrap, :( . Here is a great resource page, history of bubble wrap and photos of what other kids have donw :) .
http://www.fast-pack.com/bubblewrapappreciation.html
Speaking of contests open to homeschoolers - and I'll be posting more information about this on my blog, too, is the Team American Rocketry Challenge, co-sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and NASA and several other companies. My husband is coaching the CHEACT (Central Texas) sponsored team this year. Registration for 2007 runs from September to November and the competition is in April/May. Last year the prize pool to the winning team was $60K! Great scholarship money and a chance to put Physics in action. For more info, visit rocketcontest.org.
You renegade, Spunky! I guess that is why your nickname stuck?! ;)
They said they wouldn't allow colored bubblewrap? Awwwww.
Cindy - That sounds great. I'll mention it on my front page so it doesn't get burried in here. Thanks.
Interesting to note that the competition details say nothing about the Home Schooling Community whatsoever, but use the normal school and educational terms for Grades and School Year.
I suspect that someone managed to get hold a a home schooling address list from somewhere and is working their way through it. This isn't recognition, its marketing strategy pure and simple.
Au contraire!
Here is from their website details:
ABOUT THE COMPETITION
This competition is open to full-time students who are in grades 5-8 for the 2006-2007 school years. These students must attend an accredited public or private school, charter school, or be home schooled, and must reside within the United States or U.S. Territories. Employees of Sealed Air Corporation, The National Museum of Education, and each of their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible.
Not only are they recognizing homeschoolers in business, though. Almost every college accepts homeschoolers and many of the winners of all these little contests are homeschooled students. If you watch the headlines, you'll see what I mean.
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