Bighelp New Hampshire S.T.E.A.M Event 2020

Bighelp STEMtalk Competition

The BighelpSTEMtalk Competition is designed to help Science students develop and share their stories so that they can inspire other burgeoning STEM minds!

STEM is important because our world depends on it. The economy, our general well-being—it’s all backed by science, technology, engineering, and math.Like any good magazine article, STEM talk idea can be pretty challenging or surprising for some, but the main idea for starting this competition in Bighelp NH is to learn about student’s STEM experience in their school. It’s an opportunity to see how STEM education actually impacted them. What are they planning to do with their experience in a STEM school or program and how is STEM shaping their future.

Competition Objectives:

• To develop the science communication abilities of students

• To identify and showcase Science students with inspiring, authentic STEM stories

• To identify a keynote speaker from the community who can inspire and inform the students and families who attend our Bighelp STEAM event.

STEAM Talk video format: Contestants will present a STEM talk or documentary in a video form. Talks should be of original material prepared by the contestant. The speaker will inform or educate the audience on a single issue or topic. The topic is only limited by age appropriateness of the topic for the member. The purpose of this category is to encourage participants to give a STEM speech in which they seek out accurate Information, organizes it into a useful format, and competently presents the information. Speeches may be persuasive or informative.

A STEAM talk should have a clearly defined introduction, body, and summation. The body contains the development of the main ideas of the prepared speech. The summation should not introduce new material but should be used to reinforce the ideas developed in the body and cement the theme and main ideas in the minds of the audience.

Visuals - Visuals can be helpful for the audience, but they are by no means necessary or relevant to every talk.

Consider the following regarding the use of visuals:

• Simple slides with images

• Clear charts or graphs that represent a single point

• Images or photos to help audience remember a person, place or thing you mention

• Slides should support only one point

• Minimal text

• Avoid bullet points – consider putting each point on a separate slide

• Use clear easy to read fonts such as Helvetica, Verdana, Century Gothic, or Times New Roman)

Eligibility Criteria:

Any student in kindergarten through 12th grade may participate.

How to participate in the contest?

1. Register in the contest online at Bighelp website and pay the registration fee

2. Upload video to YouTube.You may mark your video as public or private in YouTube.

3. Send the video link to filmhelp@bighelp.org. The submission deadline is: April 6th, 2019 midnight.

Late entries will not be accepted, no exceptions please.

An idea isn't just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion

Submission rules:

• STEM Talk videos should be submitted in Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080p) or better in .mp4 or .mov format.

• Plagiarism of any sort is neither encouraged nor accepted by us. If you have used someone else's creative material in your film, please provide consent forms from the other party or present such documents that prove beyond reasonable doubt that you have the rights to use that material, while you are submitting your film.

General guidelines:

Be creative with the theme, you can include it in your film as a spoken line, in the background, as a caption or in some other way.

Each participant must register to able to consider part of a group entry.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

• 5-10 minutes Video (15 pts.):

*Please note that you are NOT being evaluated on your video production abilities! This is a preliminary way for us to gauge your abilities as a speaker, not as a videographer!

• Meets Content and Length Requirements - 5 pts.

• Speaking Presence (e.g., tone, pace of speaking, eye contact) - 5 pts.

• Ability to Engage and Inspire Audience - 5 pts.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS:

Competition results will be notified on April 15th 2019

PRIZES & RECOGNITION

Award categories: (Please note there are no levels)

• First

• Second

• Third

Tips for Recording:

• Use a tripod to hold the camera still.

• Make sure there is plenty of lighting, especially if shooting indoors.

• Turn off all noise making devices in the room (air conditioners, fans, phones, etc.).

• Make sure the background music (if any) is audible on the recording.

• Don’t shake or move the camera too much, it makes the film difficult to watch.

Resources:

https://youtu.be/q5ylLYhVaE8

https://youtu.be/8x_shtIgkVo

https://youtu.be/YNfU9fzVTxs

https://youtu.be/nZjo3bZC_rs

If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach us at filmhelp@bighelp.org