 The
Georgia High School Technical
Communication Competition
The Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Technical
Communication (STC) invites Georgia high school students to
submit entries to "Aspirations," the Georgia High School Technical
Communication competition. There is no entry fee for the
competition. The STC Atlanta Chapter sponsors this competition
to encourage development of technical writing skills among
students in grades 10 through 12. Download a
printable
tri-fold brochure.
What to Submit
To enter the competition, students must submit
an original non-fiction report, essay, or expository article on
a technical or scientific subject of their choosing. The paper
may be written for a course in conjunction with a science fair,
with only one entry per student.
The paper should be objective and informative,
conveying complete factual information for a specific purpose.
It should explain a concept or process, or help the reader form
an opinion. It is very important that the paper’s content match
the writer’s target audience.
Students should submit five copies of the paper
and keep a file copy. The length of the non-research paper
should be approximately five pages (including graphics,
endnotes, and references), although it can slightly exceed this
limit if necessary. The length of a research paper can be up to
30 pages.
Format
Requirements
Entries must be in English, typed or
computer-formatted at 1 1/2 or double line space, on one side of
white 8 1/2– by 11–inch paper. Folded, two-sided brochures are
also acceptable.
Each entry must have a cover sheet containing
the information requested in the Competition Guidelines,
available here.
Papers that do not adhere to the requirements set forth in the
Competition Guidelines will be disqualified.
Submitting an
Entry
Staple the paper at the top left corner and
attach a completed entry form to each of your five submitted
copies. Do not use covers or binders. Your name and school
should appear on the entry form. See the
Competition Guidelines
for information on the entry form.
Mail your entry flat in a 9– by 12–inch envelope
via first class mail to the following address:
Al Hood
STC Atlanta Chapter
High School Writing Competition Manager
1101 Etowah Valley Lane
Woodstock, GA 30189-2480
Deadline
Entries must be sent with sufficient time to
arrive by January 15, 2007. Late entries will not be accepted.
Questions
Any questions regarding the competition or its
guidelines should be submitted to
Al Hood.
Basis for Judging
A panel of professional writers, editors, and educators will
judge the entries. Each entry will be numerically rated using
established judging criteria. The emphasis in the competition is
focused more on clear and concise writing than on advanced
scientific knowledge. Judges will consider the overall quality
of each entry, including the usage of a coherent thesis; proper
organization, effective use of headings and subheadings; correct
grammar, spelling, and punctuation; effective use of graphics;
and proper use and documentation of reference materials and
sources. All entrants will receive detailed constructive
feedback from the judging.
Awards
The STC Atlanta Chapter provides
certificates for the following awards:
-
Best of Show
-
Distinguished
-
Excellence
-
Merit
There is an additional award of $250 for the Best of Show
winner. Awards will be presented at the STC Atlanta Chapter
Annual Awards Banquet in April 2007. Winners of the competition
will also receive local recognition of their achievement.
Winners and their teachers will be notified by mail before the
awards ceremony.
The Distinguished award winners will be entered into STC’s
International Student Technical Communication competition to be
considered for additional awards, such as $1000 for a
Distinguished award. | 
