McLean Area AAUW Holds Essay Contest On Women In STEM

MCLEAN, VA — The McLean Area Branch of the American Association of University Women is seeking applications for its fourth annual STEM Essay Contest.

The contest is open to seventh and eighth graders at local schools. According to a news release, the essay challenges students to "discover and publicize women including women of color (non-white) who made a difference in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields, but who received little or no recognition for their contributions while they were alive." Strong preference will be given to essays about women who made STEM contributions but are not well known.

The essay should be no more than 500 words and explain why the student chose the person. The deadline to submit essays is 11 p.m. on Feb. 11. There will be four prizes: $100 for first place, $50 for second place, and two $25 prizes for honorable mentions. Winners will be recognized at a virtual event for the McLean Area Branch of the American Association of University Women on March 15.

Last year, 47 applications were received for the STEM Essay contest. Winners were students from Longfellow Middle School, Cooper Middle School and The Langley School.

To see contest rules, see the McLean Area Branch's website.