2005 Mentor-Protégé Essay Contest Rules

Contest Description: We are seeking essays that highlight the power of MentorNet relationships to make positive differences for participants in advancing individuals, and/or their organizations, in academic choice and professional development in engineering and related sciences. We are interested in essays relating how MentorNet relationships may have contributed to students' learning and insights, to students' continuing with a major in engineering or science, to students' finding their paths with success and confidence, to mentors' learning, to new projects, to new employment opportunities, and so on.

Eligibility: The Contest is open to any protégé or mentor who has been a part of the MentorNet program at any time in the past 5 years. Only one entry per person or mentoring relationship pair will be accepted. The essays may be written by one or both individuals of a mentoring pair.

Submission and Deadline: We are no longer accepting submissions.  Watch this page for announcement of the winners of the 2005 Essay Contest.

Judging and Notification: Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, clarity and effective presentation, and integrity (essays must be based on true and verifiable information and experiences). The judges will include, but not be limited to MentorNet staff, board members, past essay contest winners, and volunteers. Winners will be notified on or before April 25, 2005.

See last year's winning entries. (NOTE: The contest rules were slightly different in 2004.)

Awards: Prizes include digital cameras and iPACs from Hewlett Packard, Adobe software, 3M goodies, books, and many others. The Grand Prize winner will receive a 40GB iPod donated by Apple, which holds 10,000 songs!  Essay-writers also may be chosen to participate in one of our upcoming MentorNet workshops.

Publication: The top entries will be published on MentorNet's web site at www.MentorNet.net. Winners will be required to sign an agreement providing publication rights to MentorNet.

Submission Waiver: All submissions will become the sole property of MentorNet and may be used in the organization's future marketing materials. All entrants will grant MentorNet the right to use their names and essays in any advertising and promotion without further compensation or permission, except where prohibited by law. Participants warrant that their entry is their original work and that MentorNet's use of the entry will not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party, and grant MentorNet the right to edit, publish, promote, and otherwise use their entry materials without permission, notice or compensation. By entering, entrants agree to abide by the above stated rules.

Contact: For additional information or questions, please contact contest@mentornet.net.