The following contests/competitions are open to homeschoolers. If you know of other contests or competitions open to homeschoolers, please email me the info. (cindy@howtohomeschooltoday.com).

• Dave Ramsey Coloring Contest for KIds
  
  JUNIOR’S COLORING CONTEST for kids 12 and under and win $1000. This is sponsored by Dave Ramsey, the Christian Financial Counselor. The coloring sheet, first name, and age of each of the ten (10) semifinalists will be posted on kids.daveramsey.com. Ten (10) prizes will be awarded as follows: Five (5) Grand Prizes: each winner will receive a check for one thousand dollars ($1,000), a letter from Dave Ramsey, and a Chick-fil-A® "Eat Mor Chikin®" 3 ft. Plush Cow. Five (5) Runner Up Prizes: each winner will receive a Chick-fil-A® "Eat Mor Chikin®" 3 ft. Plush Cow.
  
  HOW TO ENTER: Visit kids.daveramsey.com and follow the on-screen entry instructions. The Official Entry Form includes two pages (1 coloring sheet and 1 scantron form); both pages must be submitted. Participant’s parent or legal guardian must complete the Contact Information and Consent portion of the Official Entry Form. Parental or legal guardian consent is required for entry. Failure to comply with this or any other official rule will result in disqualification. Entry must be mailed. Rules: http://kids.daveramsey.com/?event=displayContent&intContentId=3746

• eCYBERMISSION is a web-based science, math and technology competition for 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grade teams. Your team will propose a solution to a real problem in your community and compete for regional and national awards. eCYBERMISSION challenges you to explore how science, math and technology work in your world. Registration begins September 1st. For more info or to register: http://www.ecybermission.com/index.cfm.

• Grannie Annie Writing Contest. The first-ever international Writing Contest for One-of-a-Kind Kids: The Grannie Annie — A Family Story Celebration. Who are the story keepers in your family? Just ask them! They’ll tell you stories about “the old days” that are so amazing you’ll want to write them down. Ask about your grandparents and great-grandparents. Ask about their daily lives, their adventures, their joys, and their sorrows. Take notes! You are invited to follow The Grannie Annie Guidelines and enter a one-of-a-kind story from a past generation of your family. Your story can be humorous, tragic, or inspirational. It can be a story of courage, adventure, or anything you find interesting about your family’s past. For more info and to enter: http://www.booksfromtheheart.com/grannieannie/

• Mimi's Café Writing Contest - Statewide. Mimi’s Café of Tulsa and Oklahoma City are hosts an annual “Write Stuff” essay writing contest. It’s a state wide contest for first through sixth grade students (homeschooled students included) to write a one page essay on what they have to be most thankful for. The winners and their families are invited to Mimi’s Café for a thanksgiving luncheon, the kids read their essays aloud and the top three winners receive savings bonds. For contest rules and more information, please contact: Kristy Gross, Account Manager, Waller & Company Public Relations. Email: kristy@wallerpr.com. Phone: 918.587.1909

• Odyssey of the Mind. (http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/) Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Kids apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program. Training begins in September and competition is in the spring. Oklahoma Competition. Classroom Activities: http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/curriculum.php

• Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards constitute the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteering. Over the past ten years, the program has honored more than 60,000 young volunteers at the local, state and national level. This is open to homeschooled students. For more info: http://www.prudential.com . Click on About Prudential, then Community Involvement.

• River of Words Contest. Each year, in affiliation with The Library of Congress Center for the Book, River of Words conducts a free international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of watersheds. The contest is designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live, and to express, through poetry and art, what they discover. The contest is open to any child in the world, from 5-19 years of age. Older students must have not yet completed high school. There is no charge to enter. For more info and entry form: http://riverofwords.org/contest/index.html. Deadline is February 15.

For more contests, check out Homeschool Buyer's Co-op list: http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/component/option,com_quickbase/Itemid,132/

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