YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE

For students in grades 5-8
Hosted by Discovery Education & 3M
Prizes: all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC, for the competition finals; 1st place: $50,000 U.S. Savings Bond; 2nd place–10th place: $1,000; Opportunity to appear on television -- and more!

This challenge, which I only discovered a day or two ago, is already about halfway over (entries must be submitted by June 15), so if you're a budding scientist, be sure to visit the Discovery page to grab the details of the contest http://youngscientist.discoveryeducation.com/about/about.html It sounds wonderful. Here's a little bit about the contest:

Discovery Education/3M Young Scientist Challenge is the premier national science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. The Young Scientist Challenge is designed to encourage the exploration of science among America’s youth and to promote the importance of science communication. In 1999, Discovery Communications, LLC, launched the competition to nurture the next generation of American scientists at a critical age when interest in science begins to decline. Over the past nine years, more than 540,000 middle school students have been nominated to participate in the competition, and winners have gone on to speak in front of members of Congress, work with the nation’s top scientists, and pursue academic careers in the sciences.

Good luck!