To elevate public awareness regarding plastics, the Piedmont-Coastal Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) is participating again this year in the SPE International Essay Contest. Junior high and high school students in the Triangle area are being asked to submit essays dealing with some aspect of plastics, which will be judged by a committee from our local section. The winner of the local competition will receive a new iPod Touch and the winner’s school will receive a $250 donation. The winner will also have their essay printed in our monthly newsletter (the Perspective) which is circulated throughout North Carolina. The winner and his/her parents will also be invited to attend our February 2012 local section meeting, where you will be our guests for dinner.  The winner will be recognized along with other students who have received scholarships and awards from the SPE Piedmont-Coastal Section this year.

The winning essay at the section level will also be submitted to SPE headquarters as an entry in the international competition. The winner of that competition and his/her high school will each receive a $1000 prize, and the winning essay will be printed in Plastics Engineering magazine. Entries may be submitted any time, but the deadline is Friday, December 9, 2011. The local section winner will be announced in January 2012. The international winner will be announced sometime in March 2012.

We strongly encourage students to enter this contest. Each essay must meet specific requirements and must be submitted with a completed entry form. The essay contest requirements, entry forms and details are available on the SPE website at:

http://www.4spe.org/essay-contest

The completed entry forms and essays should be sent to:

Dr. C. M. Balik
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Campus Box 7907
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC  27695-7907
+1 919-515-2126 (phone)
+1 919-515-7724 (FAX)
balik@ncsu.edu

We thank you in advance for your interest and participation in this event.

Dr. C. M. Balik
Education Committee Chairman
SPE Piedmont-Coastal Section