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3. VEX IQ Challenge Girl Powered Online Challenge Sponsored by Google

Girl Powered is an initiative to redefine the face of STEM by creating a more inclusive environment for all students within the robotics community. Together, with the support of the entire community, we strive to encourage equal participation of young women and men in competitive robotics. We want to use this challenge to show the robotics community at large just what it means to be a Girl Powered VEX IQ Challenge team!

Things to keep in mind for a successful submission:

• When you hear the phrase, Girl Powered, what comes to mind? How is it reflected in your team’s approach to robotics?
• Share how your team has taken initiative to create a more inclusive environment that attracts a diverse group of students.
• Share how each team member has tried various roles on the team (everything from designing, to building, programming, strategy, awards, etc.). Explain what you learned through this experience.
• How do you believe diversity of perspective changes your robot design, your team chemistry, and even your ability to succeed?
• Who is your STEM role model and why? Does this person inspire you to have a more inclusive team/program? How?

We want compelling, engaging stories that give us insight into how you’ve taken the Girl Powered initiative and incorporated it into your experience on a VEX IQ Challenge team. The benefit of having a diverse team will become apparent through your individual stories.

 

Prizes

• 1st: $750 VEXRobotics.com gift certificate and automatic team qualification for this season's VEX Robotics World Championship if the entrant is a member of a registered VEX IQ Challenge team
• 2nd: $500 VEXRobotics.com gift certificate
• 3rd: $250 VEXRobotics.com gift certificate

Eligibility

• Entrant grade range: Elementary, Middle School
• VEX Robotics Competition team requirement: Must be part of a registered VIQC team for the current season.
• Designs submitted in previous years’ Online Challenges are not eligible for submission this year.
• Only one entry per team is permitted. However, each team in a multi-team school or club program may submit one entry. For example, teams 123A and 123B could each submit an entry, but team 123A could not submit two entries.

Requirements

These are the minimum requirements for this challenge. The “Judging Information" section below will provide additional guidance on how your project will be judged. Failure to fulfill any of these requirements may result in your entry being disqualified from advancing to Finalist or Winner status.

• This challenge is about sharing your robotics experience as a team that embraces the Girl Powered initiative and what being Girl Powered means to you and your team. Your story must contain a clear beginning, middle and end.
• Think of this as a pictorial essay: Your submission should be created using a combination of imagery (photography, drawings, screen captures, etc.) and supporting text.
• Entries must be between 500-1500 words long. Entries over or under this word count requirement may be disqualified.
• Your final submission must be in PDF format (maximum file size: 20MB). You may create your submission using the platform of your choice; however, entries not in PDF format may be disqualified.
  • If you create your entry using an online platform (examples include Canva, Wattpad, PowToon, Shutterfly, Photobox, etc.), you must export it to PDF in order to meet this requirement.
  • If you create your entry using programs like Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, there is an easy way to save in the correct format: just click “File” and then “Save As Adobe PDF.”  Depending on the version you are using, this may also simply appear as an option you can select from the dropdown in the “Save As” function.
• You must upload your PDF entry directly to the Online Challenges site.
  • You must upload your entry to the Online Challenges site during the submission process. Links to Google Drive, Dropbox, Sharepoint or any other site are not permitted and will result in disqualification.
• At the end of your submission there should be a credits section, which includes the name of the entrant or entrants, the registered team number, and the title of your submission.
• Students should be the sole creators of this submission. It is acceptable for adults to assist with downloading any necessary resources or submitting the story where students may need permission. 
• Work submitted in previous or different Online Challenges may not be repurposed for this submission.

READ CAREFULLY: UPLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

• Instructions to upload your PDF:
  • Click the green Enter Challenge button on the right side of the screen.
  • Fill out the submission form, and type your text in the Full Description box according to the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Click Save.
  • Click the blue Files/Images button in the upper right of the screen.
  • Drag/Drop your PDF file into the Upload a File box.
  • Be sure to edit the Display Name and file information according to the Requirements for this challenge.
  • Save your edits and click Update on the entry screen.
  • Your submission will now show when you click the blue All Entries button to view the challenge entries.

Judging Information

Judges will select at least ten finalists, and will take community-voting results into account in making the final selections. The finalists will be reviewed by an additional panel of pre-selected professionals, and those scores will be combined with the initial scores to determine the winners of this Online Challenge.

The judges will evaluate each entry on:

• How well the entry meets the requirements of the challenge.
• How well the submission used a combination of imagery and supporting text.
• How engaging, easy-to-read and well designed was the entry?
• The quality of the prose, level of writing, and usage of grammar.
• Did the entry meet the 500-1500 word count parameters?

Current time:
Sat, Oct 5, 2024 5:11 AM CDT

Opens:

Wed, Jan 16, 2019 9:12 AM CST

Closes:

Thu, Jan 17, 2019 10:00 AM CST

Voting Ends:

Fri, Jan 25, 2019 1:00 PM CST

All Entries
View Finalists
View Winners