Student Events

Academic Decathlon (grades 9-12)
Academic Decathlon is a nationwide contest of academic skill for high school students. A Decathlon team is composed of nine members and must include, A, B, and C grade-level students--three students for each division. The three divisions are labeled Honor, Scholastic, and Varsity. Each member of the team competes in all ten events, including the areas of economics, fine arts, literature, math, science, social studies, and speech and essay activities. Students in each category compete only against students in that category. In regional, and state contests, Decathlon students for team champions advance to the national event in April and compete with teams from other states. The Academic Decathlon program offers many opportunities for individual growth and learning. For more information go to: www.usad.org

Academic Triathlon (grades 3-8)
Academic Triathlon is a product of the belief that thinking skills should be an important part of education. It is a five-person team challenge for students in grades 3 through 8 that rewards strong performance in the areas general intellect: specific academic abilities; leadership and psycho-social dynamics; visual and performing arts; and creative/productive thinking. All events are worth 20 to 100 points. Each inter-school meet lasts three hours, giving skills to last a lifetime. For more information go to: www.academictriathlon.org

Boy Scouts of America (grades 1-12)
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness. Cub Scouts is designed for boys who are in the first grade through fifth grade, or who are 11 through 17 years old. Parents, leaders, and organizations work together to achieve the purposes of Scouting. For more information go to: www.scouting.org

Business Professionals of America (BPA) (grades 9-12)
BPA is a student organization that contributes to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills. High school and post-secondary students can compete in 75 different workplace skill assessments at the regional, state and national levels; and participate in leadership development seminars. Click here for Region 8 BPA , Minnesota BPA , and National BPA

Children's Author & Illustrator Program (grades K-6)
This program brings Minnesota Children's Authors & Illustrators into local elementary classrooms. Districts can choose to participate in a half-day or full day residency. This is an excellent opportunity for schools to expose students to well known, published Minnesota authors/illustrators. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: Scheduling is done in the fall with the residencies occurring in April.

Conference for Young Artists (grades 3-8)
The Conference for Young Artists features a variety of topics in the areas of visual and performing arts. The program consists of a keynote presentation and hands-on sessions divided into strands for grades 3-5 and 6-8. Topics have included drawing, cartooning, comic strips, puppetry, storytelling, theatre, sculpture, ceramics, papermaking, illustrating, calligraphy, origami, etc. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: scheduled for October in Marshall at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Conference for Young Writers (grades 3-8)
The Conference for Young Artists features a variety of topics in the areas of visual and performing arts. The program consists of a keynote presentation and hands-on sessions divided into strands for grades 3-5 and 6-8. Topics have included cartooning, calligraphy, papermaking, book art, publishing; as well as various types of writing: song writing, fiction, humorous, science fiction, creative, poetry, etc. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: scheduled for May at Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall

This competition is an annual event open to students in grades 9-12 who are interested in culinary careers and activities. The SW MN Carl Perkins projects and SW MN Tech Prep Consortium, along with Southwest Minnesota State University, the Schwan Food Company and various other sponsors, hold the event each year in late March or early April at SMSU in Marshall. Competition areas include cooking, cake decorating, garnishing, menu design, place setting and more. Seminars are also held during the day on culinary-related topics. Chefs from the Schwan Food Company, Southwest Minnesota extension educators, job counselors and others are among the competition designers and seminar presenters. Students receive awards for their performance in the competitions. Information and photos on previous year events as well as the date set for this year's competition, can be obtained by clicking on the Culinary Skills Challenge logo on the home page for this website.
Registration materials are available by early October each year by contacting Mary Lou Blasing at 507-537-2273 or marylou.blasing@swsc.org

Destination ImagiNation® (elementary through post-secondary)
Destination ImagiNation® teaches students the things they'll need as they traverse the sometimes rocky and often challenging terrain of the school of life--like how to tap into their own creativity, how to solve problems, and how to work together in teams. You see in math class, there maybe only one right answer to a given problem, but how often is that the case in the real world? Based on the concept of divergent thinking--understanding that there is more than one way to solve a problem--Destination ImaginNation® Challenges encourage students to build on their strengths and to discover and to discover skills they never knew they possessed. Teams of up to seven members choose one challenge and spend several months perfecting their "solution" for tournament day. Teams also hone their on-the-spot problem solving skills as they practice coming up with solutions for Instant Challenges--additional challenges that are revealed to the teams only minutes before their presentation time! Thinking on their feet, becoming comfortable with quick decision making and further developing the team spirit are among the skills that Instant Challenges promote. For more information go to: www.destinationimagination.org/

Environmental Fair (grade 6)
The Environmental Fair is a free learning event in the "outdoor classroom" for sixth grade students from a 14-county area in Southwestern Minnesota. The goal is to let students study natural resources in a setting that will give them opportunity to see and touch what they are learning about. Some of the topics covered include trees, soils, water quality, wetlands, native prairie, watersheds, stewardship, and reptiles. The fair has attracted up to 2,700 students and has received the "Education Award" from the Minnesota Association of Conservation Districts, and the "Trainer of the Year Award" from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). For more information contact your county conservation district office. A list of conservation offices can be found at: www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov
Time Period: each September the Southwest Minnesota Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the 2-day fair, with the location being rotated annually.

Environthon (grades 9-12)
An Environthon is a competition for high school students to challenge their environmental knowledge and problem solving skills. There are six outdoor stations in the fields of aquatics, wildlife, forestry, soils, a current environmental issue and an oral presentation. The Envirothon is a nationwide event that began Pennsylvania in 1979 and in Minnesota in 1993. In Minnesota, all seven areas of the Minnesota Water Conservation Districts sponsor regional Environthons. The top three teams in the regional Envirothons go on to the State Envirothon. The top team at the State event goes on to compete at the National Envirothon. A teacher/advisor works with the students to prepare them for competition and accompanies each team or teams. For more information contact the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District at 507-694-1630.
Time Period: held annually in April/May in various locations in SW Minnesota with January registration deadlines.

Science and Nature Conference (grades K-6)
This conference is held on Saturday and is targeted for students, their parents, grandparents, or teachers. The half-day conference features a general session and then students attend two small group sessions selected from a variety of topics related to science and nature.
Time Period: scheduled for November in Marshall at Southwest Minnesota State University
For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) (grades 7-12)
FCCLA is a student leadership organization that focuses on youth, peer education and family, school and community by addressing important personal, family, work and societal issues. FCCLA program encourage teamwork, positive communications, healthy relationships, community involvement, financial management and career development. Eleven STAR Events provide opportunities to compete at the regional, state and national levels in events that build proficiency and achievement in leadership and job-related skills. For more information go to: www.fccla.umn.edu

FFA (Formerly Future Farmers of America) (grades 9-12)
The National FFA Organization is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of young people by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The organization's motto is: Learning to Do; Doing to Learn; Earning to Live; Living to Serve. High school students learn and compete in regional, state and national competitions (24 separate Career Development Events) that focus on ag business, research, natural resources, animals, production and more. For more information go to: www.ffa.umn.edu

4-H (grades K-12)
4-H is a positive youth development organization. It is made up of elementary and high school youth that enjoy learning together. 4-H members have the opportunity to make new friends. They gain confidence and develop life skills through project work, leadership opportunities, community service opportunities, Education, Communications and Expressive Arts, Consumer and Family Science, Environmental Education and Earth Sciences, Healthy Lifestyle Education, Personal Development and Leadership, Plants, and Science and Technology. Adult and youth leaders guide the 4-H clubs. Find your county office on-line at: www.extension.umn.edu/offices

Future City Competition™ (teams of 3 students, grades 7-8)
Sponsored by the National Engineers Week, this National program introduces students to engineering with the popular SimCity software. Students design future cities with simulation software, build scale models, write essays and give oral reports on their city's design. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: begins in October with regional/state competitions in January and nationals in February

Geography Bee (grades 4-8)
Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography. Schools with students in grades four through eight are eligible for this entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge. The National Geography Bee occurs in three stages, beginning at the school level. Schools that register for the Bee receive materials to hold their competitions. Each school winner takes a written test, and the top hundred scorers in each state and territory compete and the state level. For more information go to: www.nationalgeographic.com/geographybee
Time Period: school level competitions are held from November to January, state-level Bees are held in April, and the winner of each state Bee proceeds to the national competition in May.

Girl Scouts (grades K-12)
In partnership with committed adults, girls age 5-17 discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together. Through a myriad of enriching experiences, such as extraordinary field trips, sport skill building clinics, community service projects, cultural changes and environmental stewardships, girls grow courageous and strong. Girl Scouting helps girls develop to their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill and respect, develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills and cooperation with others. For more information go to: www.girlscouts.org

Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) (grades 10-12)
A national vocational student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Occupations Education Division of the ACTE. HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. HOSA'S goal is to encourage all health occupations instructors and students to join and be actively involved in the HOE-HOSA Partnership. HOSA provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, post-secondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health occupation education programs. HOSA is 100% health care! For more information go to: http://www.minnesotahosa.org/

Job Shadow Day (no grade requirements, but typically Middle and High School students)
Job shadowing is an academically motivating activity designed to give kids an up-close look at the world of work and to answer the question, "Why do I have to learn this?" Beginning with a nationwide kickoff on Ground Hog Day, and continuing throughout the school year, students across America "shadow" workplace mentors as they go through a normal day on the job. The students get to see firsthand how the skills learned in school relate to the workplace. Job Shadowing is led by the National Job Shadow Coalition and is supported through a national sponsorship by Monster.com and a co-sponsorship by News Corporation. For more information, a Job Shadowing Curriculum, and a virtual job shadowing go to: www.jobshadow.org
Time Period: anytime of the year

Junior Achievement (grades K-12)
Junior Achievement serves approximately 5.2 million students worldwide. Through age-appropriate curricula, Junior Achievement programs begin at the elementary school level, teaching children how they can impact the world around them as individuals, workers and consumers. Junior Achievement programs continue through the middle and high school grade, preparing students for future economic and workforce issues they'll face. It is a movement that seeks to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve quality of their lives. All this is done with the help of business volunteers from the local community. For more information go to: http://sw-minnesota.ja.org

LifeSmarts (grades 9-12)
A flexible classroom or group activity that teaches teens to be smart and responsible consumers and citizens. The content and competition questions focus on five key areas of consumer knowledge that teens need to know to function effectively in today's marketplace. These areas are: In addition to the important information and knowledge that participants gain, they also develop teamwork, self-esteem, verbal communication skills, leadership abilities, and have fun in the process. For contact information in Minnesota go to: www.lifesmarts.org
Time Period: online competitions generally take place between October and March. In-person state competitions take place between November 1 and March 15 each year. The regional and national competitions are generally held in April in a major city.

MATHCOUNTS (grades 6-8)
MATHCOUNTS is the nationwide math coaching and competition program for middle school students. It promotes student interest in math by making achievement as challenging, exciting and prestigious as a school sport. Beginning each fall, thousands of teachers, MATHCOUNTS alumni and other volunteers coach student mathletes using the free MATHCOUNTS School Handbook. After several months of coaching, registered schools select students to complete in local competitions. The top teams and individuals then progress to state competitions, where the top four individuals advance to the National Competition. For more information go to: www.mathcounts.org
Time Period: November and December, coaches receive the school competitions by mail to give to students in January. Local competition is in February, the state competition in March and the National Competition in June.

Math Masters (grades 5 & 6)
Math Masters of Minnesota provides competitions in mathematics for thousands of students in fifth and sixth grades. The purpose of the program is to challenge students and schools to use higher-order thinking skills and problem solving abilities and to give recognition for academic effort and achievement. All public, private, and home schools in Minnesota and surrounding areas are invited to register teams for participation in the one-day competitions held each spring. For more information go to: www.mathmastersmn.org
Time Period: one day conference held each spring

Minnesota Student Inventors Congress (MSIC)
(individual students, grades K-12)
MSIC is a program that provides an opportunity for students to envision and implement new ideas or adapt existing ideas for new uses. It focuses on creative problem solving and critical thinking skills. This program fits readily into several areas of the Minnesota Graduation Standards. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: the invention is usually taught as part of the school curriculum. The regional event is held in April and the state event in June.

Mock Trial (grades 9-12)
The Minnesota High School Mock Trial Program is a law-related education program which will introduce your students to the American legal system and provide challenging competitions. As part of the mock trial program, your students will exercise in a real-life setting their critical thinking abilities as well as the basic skills learned in the classroom. After competing in both regional and statewide competition, one Minnesota high school team will advance to national finals. For more information go to: www2.mnbar.org/mocktrial/index.htm
Time Period: local and regional competitions are held in January and February, leading to the state tournament in March and the National High School Mock Trial Championship in May.

National History Day In Minnesota (grades 6-12)
History Day is an exciting co-curricular program that encourages young people to explore a historical subject related to an annual theme. Students make history come alive as their research leads to imaginative exhibits, original performances, media presentations and papers in junior and senior divisions in seven categories. History Day demonstrates that students learn history when they do history. This program provides the ideal format to meet the inquiry component of the state graduation standards. History Day is a highly regarded national academic challenge; it is also the fastest growing social studies enrichment program in Minnesota with over 30,000 students participating statewide last year. The program's goal is to promote the study of history by engaging students and teachers in the excitement of historical inquiry and creative presentation. Historians, educators and professionals in related fields evaluate students' work at different stages. For more information go to: www.mnhs.org/school/historyday
Time Period: students participate in regional History Day fairs at which some are selected to advance to the statewide History Day in May in the Twin Cities. Top entries in each category in the Minnesota History Day are eligible to participate in the National History Day contest in June near Washington, D.C.

Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) Camp for Girls (grade 7)
The purpose of STEPS camp is to expose young women to the opportunities for technical careers early enough to influence their choices of math, science, and technical courses in middle and high school. The camp is fully supported by grants from several industries and organizations. Each summer since 1997, 160 randomly selected girls have attended one-week long summer camps on manufacturing. The girls are approximately 12 years old and will be entering seventh grade in the fall. The camp is a totally free resident camp in which 40 girls per week are introduced to manufacturing, technology, communication, and the possibilities that await them if they select a career in the manufacturing field. All activities at the camp are "hands on" with each girl building her own radio-controlled airplane that she flies at the end of the week. The girls are taught foundry practice; plastics; machining; robotics; CADD, Web page and newsletter design; chemistry; and team work. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) tracks girls that attend a camp until their junior year in college. Each year after attending the camp, SME offers an opportunity to attend some manufacturing related activity and sends additional information on careers in manufacturing. Beginning in the summer of 2000, the STEPS for Girls program expanded to include three colleges in Minnesota. The University of Minnesota offers a camp for girls going into tenth grade. Alexandria Technical College and the University of St. Thomas offer programs similar to the program at UW Stout for girls going into seventh grade. For more information go to: www.alextech.org/steps/
Time Period: All schools in Minnesota are notified about the opportunity in March. Participants are randomly selected in April and the camps are held in July/August.

SEARCH Program (Ages 16-21)
SEARCH (Seeking Experiences with Attitudes, Relationships, Community and Home), a program of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, is designed to help young people prepare for living on their own. This free program is for youth, 16 to 21 years of age, that have been in an out-of-home living arrangement for 24 hours since their 14th birthday and are preparing to go out on their own. The service area is an eight county area including: Kandiyohi, Swift, Yellow Medicine, Chippewa, Meeker, Redwood, Renville, and LacQui Parle counties. In SEARCH, youth meet with other peers who are also preparing for independence. There will be a Youth Outreach Worker conducting the groups with visiting guests from local business and agencies to share their knowledge and answer your questions. Field trips and retreats are also scheduled. Search will help youth: 1) Develop basic living skills; 2) Learn how to locate, get hired and keep a job; 3) Look at education options; 4) Clarify legal rights and responsibilities; 5) Identify community programs that fit your personal needs and interests; 6) Understand better who you are, where you come from and where you want to go; 7) Discuss and get information on AIDS, safe-sex and other sexually issues; 8) Make friends, have fun and learn to feel good about yourself. For more information call Lutheran Social Services at 320-231-7075.
Time Period: The SEARCH Program runs in two six months sessions. Session I from January 1st to June 30th and Session II from July 1st to December 31st.

Senior High Knowledge Bowl (teams of 5 students, grades 7-12)
During contests, team of students compete in written and oral rounds by answering questions related to all areas of learning typical of secondary educational programs. Skills involved include teamwork, problem solving, interpersonal skills, oral communications, and listening - all skills desired by Fortune 500 companies. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: Local events take place during January and February with sub-regional and regional events in March and the state event in April.

Spelling Bee (individual students, grades 5-8)
The Spelling Bee is designed to help students improve their spelling and increase vocabulary development. Primary focus of this event is spelling knowledge and recall. For more information go to: http://www.swsc.org/ProgramsServices/StudentActivities/Index.cfm
Time Period: The district bee takes place in January or February, the regional bee in February, with the state bee in March or April and the national bee in May or June

SkillsUSA-VICA (grades 9-12)
SkillsUSA-VICA is a national organization serving high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations. SkillsUSA-VICA prepares America's high performance workers. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communication skills. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA-VICA programs include local, state and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills. Skills USA-VICA programs also help to establish industry standards for job skill training in the classroom. For more information go to: www.skillsusa.org

Stock Market Game (SMG) (grades 4-12)
The original and premier educational program that stimulates learning about economics, finance, and the American economic system. An exciting, real-world simulation, The Stock Market Game enables participants to discover the risks and rewards involved in decision-making, the sources and uses of capital and other related economic concepts. Over the course of 10 weeks, participants invest a hypothetical $100,000 in Nasdaq, Amex, and NYSE-listed common stocks. They research stocks, study how the financial markets work, choose their portfolios, manage budgets, follow companies in the news, and make decisions on whether to buy, sell, or hold. They can compare their portfolios' performance to peers on a weekly basis. BestPrep has offered two performance packages that utilize the Stock Market Game. Each performance package fulfills a complete Graduation Standard. Both are available as PDF files. For more information go to: www.bestprep.org To get information about teacher training contact Sue Gorecki at sue.gorecki@swsc.org or 507-537-2258.
Time Period: the SW/WC Service Cooperatives holds teacher training for the SMG periodically. State competitions are held two times each year, beginning in September and then in January.

The SELF program provides free support for community youth from Lyon, Lincoln, or Murray counties, age 16 to 21 who has spent at least one day in substitute care since turning 14 years of age. The program provides an opportunity for participants to meet new friends while learning about a number of interesting topics that will be useful now and in the future. Field trips may include: Boundary Waters, Ropes Course, Winter Camp, and Tomorrow's Leaders of Today Conference. Some of the group topics include: Relationships, Getting a Job, Housing, Values, Health, Budgeting, Leadership, Safety, Insurance, CPR and Communication. For more information call 507-537-6747.

Time Period: The SELF program runs year round. Weekly meetings are held from June through August. Starting in September, meetings are held twice a month.

Technical Skills Challenge (grade level varies by competition area)
This annual competition involves several technical skill areas and is sponsored by the SW Minnesota Secondary and Post-Secondary Carl Perkins projects and the SW Minnesota Tech Prep Consortium. Each September, schools receive competition criteria and registration materials explaining which competition areas will be included that particular school year. (Examples of some competition areas are fluid power, auto repair, web page development, computer-aided drafting and design, among others). Participants compete as individuals or teams, depending on the competition. Instructors from post-secondary training programs at Minnesota West Community and Technical College and Southwest Minnesota State University will develop each challenge, and industry representatives will be involved in the judging and awards process. Due to potential size of some competition areas, preliminary levels of competition may be established with recognition for varying levels of achievement. Finalists would then attend a final on-site competition event, to be held at a different location in the region each year. For more information contact Mary Lou Blasing at 507-537-2273 or marylou.blasing@swsc.org

The three-day TLT conference is for youth who do not typically receive recognition for their true leadership qualities and potential. These youth are often identified as "at risk" and are not usually represented in other youth leadership trainings. The conference is held at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The goals of the conference are to celebrate and enhance the leadership capacity of youth and to share personal leadership skills that can be used now and in the future to affect personal and community change. The "Dan Kornder Youth Leadership Award" will be presented at this year's TLT conference to one youth who has demonstrated grit, courage, and determination. For registration and award nomination applications go to: www.tlt-mn.org.

Time Period: The TLT conference is held annually in August with applications due by mid-July (see website for specific due dates).

Work-Skills Competition (grades 9-12)
This competition provides high school students with special learning needs from Southwest Minnesota an opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills in the following competitive events: General Employment Knowledge, Completing an Application, Interviewing Skills, and Workplace Problem Solving. The event is held annually and the host site is rotated between the Pipestone Area, Marshall Area, and Redwood Valley Community Transition Interagency Committees (C.T.I.C.s) Area agency and business professionals serve as judges for the competitions. Inquire at your school district for more information.
Time Period: Held annually each April/May