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The Mineta Transportation Institute Essay Contest invites students, grades 6-12, to propose and explore a solution to a problem centered around a specific theme each year under one or more of the following principles of transportation: sustainability, equity, safety, community, and innovation.
2022 Theme: |
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In the United States, nearly 70% of students travel to school by car. And yet, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that light-duty vehicles like cars make up 57% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the U.S. transportation sector, which itself is the largest contributor of national GHG emissions. People across the globe are increasingly forced to grapple with unprecedented typhoons, wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. In fact, the New York Times called the summer of 2022 “A Summer of Climate Disasters.” Reexamining U.S. car culture, cutting back on fossil fuel reliant transportation, and increasing our use of more sustainable means would help mitigate some of the most dangerous effects of climate change. Rethinking your ride could help save our planet. Essay prompts:
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2022-2023 "Rethink Your Ride" Essay Winners |
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Group 1 |
Group 2 |
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Reduction of Car-Reliance in the US EconomyBy Anping Huang
Grade 9, Lynbrook High School, San José, CA
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Public Transportation: Incentivizing Widespread UsageBy Caitlin Zhou
Grade 10, Lynbrook High School, San José, CA
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Two winners will be selected; one from grades 6-9 and one from grades 10-12. Winners will receive $500 and $1,000, respectively, as well as certificates of achievements. All prizes must be claimed by end of the academic school year in which the entries were made. Winning essays will be published on MTI’s website and newsletter.
For the contest, students grades 6-9 will write a 500-word-limit essay while students grades 10-12 will write a 1000-word-limit essay as a response to ONE of the essay prompts of their choosing.
All students enrolled in grades 6-12 in U.S. public, private, and home schools within the United States are encouraged to submit. Only one submission per student is allowed.
All entries must be original work reviewed, approved, and sponsored by a teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your writing. The teacher/mentor must complete and attach the required cover sheet.
Group 1: Grades 6th - 9th |
Group 2: Grades 10th - 12th |
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Total points possible: 15
Content - Understanding of the topic: To what extent did the writer demonstrate a clear understanding of the essay prompt and respond with details about their ideas?
Material Organization & Sources - Effectiveness in presenting a point-of-view, logical interpretation of the subject - clear thesis, and supporting ideas, and factual information
Important Dates |
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Extended to January 13, 2023 |
Essay submittal deadline at 11:59PM |
February 22-28, 2023 |
Winners announced and prizes coordinated with winning students |
April 30, 2023 |
All prizes must be claimed |
For questions or concerns regarding this contest, please contact Alverina Weinardy.
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SJSU Research Foundation 210 N. 4th Street, 4th Floor, San Jose, CA 95112 Phone: 408-924-7560 Email: mineta-institute@sjsu.edu