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Introduction
Let's
Get Real™ is a
competition that gives young students the opportunity to solve real-life issues
faced by the sponsoring corporations and provides the corporate sponsors the
opportunity to meet talented students. For questions or comments, contact
your State Coordinator or Program Coordinator.
Team Eligibility
All 6th through 12th
grade students from any school are eligible. Students do not have to be
affiliated with a school setting to participate...in other words home schooling,
Scouts, neighborhood friends, etc. can form teams with an adult coordinator.
Students may work on any of the problems. All entries must be by teams. No
individual entries will be considered. Teams must be no smaller than two and no
larger than six students. Members of the team may be from the same or different
grade levels and may be from the same or different schools. Each team must have
at least one adult coordinator.
Adult Coordinator
The team's adult coordinator
must be at least 21 years old and be able to provide guidance and direction to
the students, and serve as the primary contact with Let's
Get Real™. A
coordinator may sponsor more than one team.
Registration and
Contract Forms
Each team must
submit a separate registration form
and contract form. Each team may
work on more than one problem. However, a separate registration
form should be submitted for each problem. The contract
form may be duplicated so that each team member can submit a separate form
for convenience. In addition, a student may be a member of more than one team.
Solving The
Problems
The solution must be
developed by the students. Parents, teachers, adult coordinators, and other
non-team members may provide training, guidance, transportation and other
indirect assistance only.
Select one or more
problems from the sponsors' problem list. Submit a separate registration
form and contract form for each problem and for
each team. Each entry will be initially judged based on the team's written
report. The written report must meet the following requirements (also refer to
the Judges Scoring Sheet to
see exactly what will be evaluated):
- All assumptions
made in arriving at the solution must be clearly stated.
- The costs and
benefits of the suggested solution must be clearly stated.
- The written
report must be typed and must not exceed 10 double-spaced pages (using
12-point type and 1-inch margins).
- Document all the
resources used in arriving at your solution. This includes time (hours)
and money spent. This documentation of expenses is not for reimbursement,
but it will be considered in determining the cost effectiveness of your
work as it relates to the quality of your solution.
- Diagrams,
drawings, or illustrations and computer simulations or models are
acceptable as appendices to the written report and will not be counted in
the page limit. In addition, audio or videotapes, models, or other
material helpful to understand the solution may accompany the written
report (this material will NOT be returned unless the team is selected for
the final oral presentation). However, please note that only finalists
selected on the basis of the initial submission will be given an
opportunity to make an oral presentation. Therefore, material that
requires an accompanying presentation (e.g., 35 mm slides) should be
prepared only if the team is invited for an oral presentation.
Submitting Solutions
Please send
ALL completed registration
forms, contract
forms, and
solutions by or before the deadline for the specific challenge to:
Let's Get Real
624 Waltonville Road
Hummelstown, PA 17036
Registration
forms and contract forms MUST be submitted to the address above via US postal
mail. However, some corporations request that solution documentation
be submitted in electronic form, and be of a specific file type(s). Please
review requirements for submission of electronic documentation. If
available, details will be listed with the challenge. Electronic documentation
submissions may be emailed to the following address:
LGR@epix.net
The Judging Process
Judging will be done by a panel of employees from the corporate sponsor.
Each corporate sponsor will judge solutions to its own problems using the Judges
Scoring Sheet. (Rubric developed by Myron E. Yoder, M.Ed., Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator, Allentown School District and Adjunct Professor of Education, Cedar Crest College.)
The written solutions will be judged according to the following criteria:
Practicality or Implementation Potential
(10 Points)
Solution is practical.
Solution could be implemented with existing technology.
Effectiveness of the Solution
(20 Points)
Written report is clear, concise and "sells" the idea.
The report meets guidelines for style.
The report is neat and documentation is evident.
The report is easy to follow.
Cost and Benefit of the Solution
(20 Points)
The cost of the solution is clearly documented.
The benefit of the solution is clearly documented and stated.
Analysis of the cost/benefit of the solution is reasonable and understandable.
Creativity/Originality (20 Points)
Solution is creative and demonstrates thinking beyond the conventional and obvious.
Solution is original and demonstrates ideas developed solely by the group.
Development of the Idea (10 Points)
Chronological log discussion on how your idea was formed, developed and finally acted upon by your group. You may use a narrative in place of a log.
Documentation of the Development of the Solution
(20 Points)
All work and expenses are clearly documented and appended to the end of the written report.
The documentation is clearly presented and easily understood.
The documentation is presented in an organized fashion and is neat in form.
Oral Presentations
Finalists will be invited at their own expense to the appropriate corporate sponsor's location for an oral presentation. Finalists will be questioned by the judges to determine originality of the idea, knowledge of the subject, and ability to communicate and sell the idea clearly and succinctly. The oral presentation should be limited to 15 minutes followed by about 10 minutes of questioning by the judges.
If your team is invited to the finals please feel free to employ PowerPoint presentations, video, slides, overheads, etc., but remember to have a back up plan in case some technical problem occurs. You will only be allotted so much time and if your technical problems delay your presentation you will not come across as well as if you are prepared for this possibility. Plan for possible problems!
For more information about the contest or the problems, contact your State
Coordinator or Program Coordinator.
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