0-10(€¦ · iii to anyone considering an edible car contest at illinois valley community college...
TRANSCRIPT
ii
Organizing an Edible Car Contest
A “How to” Handbook
By
Dorene Perez, Jim Gibson, Sue Caley Opsal and Rose Marie Lynch
I llinois Valley Community College 815 North O rlando Smith Avenue
Oglesby, I L 61348 815-224-2720
www.ivcc.edu/nsf
April 2011
Supported by National Science Foundation Grant #0802505
iii
To Anyone Considering an Edible Car Contest At Illinois Valley Community College we have been offering an edible car contest to celebrate National Engineering Week since 2006. The contest originated with support from a National Science Foundation grant and was limited to IVCC students, but in 2010 was expanded to include high school students. Our participants design and build the vehicles in teams, on their own, before contest day. The contest has included as many as 130 students on 35 teams. Since the purpose is to increase awareness of and interest in engineering, we continue working on increasing participation and on generating media attention. The contest itself is relatively complex with entries judged in as many as ten categories. IVCC organizers also capitalize on opportunities the contest provides to promote engineering, such as displaying/giving away promotional materials and administering an engineering quiz. Since its first year, the contest has been a success, as judged by the participants and publicity it generates and by results of surveys of participants, which routinely reveal an increased awareness of the creativity in engineering and an increased interest in engineering-related careers. More recently, we have utilized contests as outreach activities: for second graders, for middle school students and for single teen mothers. In these competitions, the students typically build their vehicles on site, as part of the contest event, with vehicle materials we provide. The excitement and engagement of participants as well as the positive publicity generated by those contests are markers of the success of those events.
The idea for an edible car contest was not original with us, and we’re not certain who deserves the credit. We stumbled across the idea online in researching Engineering Week activities. Fresno State offered its first contest in 1998, and this spring, Texas Woman’s University is offering its 13th annual contest.* A list of other institutions that have information about their edible car contests online is at the end of this manual.
We are convinced that edible car contests are engaging and cost effective activities for participants of any age, adaptable to focus on any STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field and beyond. We offer the suggestions in this manual based on lessons we have learned, and we invite you to utilize and adapt these ideas to host your own edible car contests.
Dorene Perez, [email protected]
Jim Gibson, [email protected] Sue Caley Opsal, [email protected]
Rose Marie Lynch, [email protected] *http://www.fresnostatenews.com/dev/1998/10/first-incredible-edible-car-contest-is-Friday-oct-30/ and http:www.twu.edu/arts-sciences/edible-car-contest.asp
iv
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Illinois Valley Community College administration, Board of Trustees, and Student Government Association; of IVCC faculty and staff for judging, entering, and encouraging students to enter the contests; of IVCC engineering and electronics students for assisting with contests; of Jeanette Maurice for organizing the IVCC Contest for Kids; of Kristi Eager and John Fussinatto for organizing a contest for eighth graders, and of Dawn Wiggins for offering a contest for middle school students and developing a participant activity sheet. The authors also wish to acknowledge the assistance of the National Science Foundation. The material in this manual is based upon work supported by the N.S.F. under grants # 0501885 and 0802505. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
v
Table of Contents
Quick T ips for O rganizing a Contest ......................................................... vi Offering an Edible Car Contest ................................................................... 1 Classroom – Related Requirements and Assignments .............................. 2
Sample Participant Activity Sheet .................................................................................. 5 Sample Email to Faculty Announcing Contest ............................................................... 6
Entry Categories and Judging Categories .................................................. 8 Sample Entry Numbers ................................................................................................. 10 Sample Tent Cards for Contest Tables ......................................................................... 11
Contest Rules ............................................................................................... 12 Sample Contest Rules ................................................................................................... 13 Sample Entry Form for Students................................................................................... 14 Sample Entry Form – Faculty/Staff Members .............................................................. 15
Supplies and Equipment for a Contest ..................................................... 16 Judges ........................................................................................................... 20
Sample Judging Sheet ................................................................................................... 21 Sample Judging Tally Sheet.......................................................................................... 22 Sample Form for Recording Speeds ............................................................................. 23
Prizes ............................................................................................................ 24 Sample Certificates ....................................................................................................... 25
Expenses for a Contest ............................................................................... 26 Planning and O rganizing a Contest .......................................................... 29 Assessing a Contest ..................................................................................... 31
Sample Participant Survey ............................................................................................ 33 Sample Participant Pre-Survey ..................................................................................... 34 Sample Participant Post Survey .................................................................................... 35
Capitalizing on Promotional Opportunities ............................................. 36 Sample Engineering Quiz for Participants / Spectators ................................................ 39 Sample Contest Sign ..................................................................................................... 40 Sample Photo/Statement Releases for Underage Students ........................................... 41 Sample Photo/Statement Release for Adults ................................................................ 41
Publicizing the Contest Through the Media ............................................ 42 Sample Press Release Announcing the Contest ............................................................ 45 Sample Press Release Announcing Winners ................................................................ 48
For More Information About Edible Car Contests ................................. 51 References .................................................................................................... 52
Illustrations of Edible Cars
See pages 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 18, 19, 28, 32,38, 44
vi
Quick Tips for Organizing a Contest 1. Recruit a team to help 2. Select target audience
3. Set goal(s) 4. Schedule 5. Determine budget 6. Decide contest rules 7. Decide judging categories 8. Determine prizes 9. Order, purchase, or make prizes 10. Arrange for equipment/materials needed 11. Recruit judges 12. Develop needed paperwork (entry and judging forms, etc.) 13. Promote contest 14. Plan for cleanup 15. Plan, develop assessment(s) 16. Plan contest day schedule, including awards ceremony 17. Publicize results 18. Thank everyone who helped 19. Debrief on suggestions for next time IF CONSTRUCTING ON SITE WITH MATERIALS YOU PROVIDE – Before contest day add:
Draft a shopping list Shop
1
Offering an Edible Car Contest
An edible car contest is a high interest, hands-on activity for engaging people of any age and at any educational level in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). A contest can also incorporate teamwork, oral and written communication, marketing and a variety of other skills, limited only by the creativity of the organizers. Contests can be simple events for a handful of participants or elaborate events for hundreds, depending on the goals and resources of the organizers. Equipment can range from a tape measure and stop-watch to high tech electronic sensors and timers. Prizes can range from computer-generated certificates to cash. Budgets, obviously, also vary widely and can incorporate support from sponsors as well as entry fees collected from participants.
Regardless of the scope of the event, an edible car contest provides excellent promotional and publicity opportunities with the participants, spectators and the general public. Perhaps because nearly everyone has heard the admonition not to do so, most people like playing with their food. Careful planning of a contest, of any size, can insure that the contest meets the goals of the organizers, capitalizes on the excitement of participants, and is also cost effective.
A high school team claims their prizes at the IVCC Edible Car Contest. The fastest vehicle was the cucumber, above, which broke previous track records. Designers kept the peppermint stick axels wrapped in plastic to protect them from moisture until race time and sprayed the axels with cooking spray for a competitive edge. The pink sugar glass creation at the left was the 2011 top winner with a First in Creativity, first in Detail and First in the Prospective Engineers categories.
2
Classroom – Related Requirements and Assignments
Classroom – related requirements and assignments can be developed to match a variety of subject areas. Assignments and requirements are limited only by the creativity and imagination of the faculty members. Depending on the organization and scope of the contest, classroom – related requirements might be evaluated or judged during the contest or in individual classrooms. Possible Classroom Related Requirements/Assignments
Calculate ratios, wheel sizes, body size and/or weight for the vehicle Determine the nutritional value of the vehicle Build the vehicle largely or entirely from one type of food (just fruit, just
vegetables, just foods low in carbohydrates or low in sugar) Build the vehicle from food items popular in a geographic area or
country Write or deliver oral instructions for building the vehicle Develop written material(s) or deliver an oral presentation for
marketing the vehicle Calculate the cost effectiveness of the vehicle. Defend the design choices for the vehicle Identify challenges in building the vehicle and explain how those
challenges were overcome. After the contest:
Analyze and discuss why the vehicle performed as it did in speed or distance.
Analyze and discuss what could be done to improve the performance of the vehicle.
Written or oral explanations of design choices are especially useful for contests organized to increase interest in engineering. At the University of Vermont, the Society of Women Engineers that sponsors the contest provides the middle school participants with a brief glossary of terms used by engineers in solving design challenges and asks the participants to familiarize themselves with those terms before they design their vehicles.1 Engineers can assist by providing ideas for solving design problems; for example, the materials and design of axels and wheels are problematic for vehicles that will compete in speed or distance trials. At a contest in Fresno State, an engineer suggested that the front wheels be toed in toward the vehicle so that it would be less likely to veer off the track as it rolled down a concrete surface. Providing that type of background information, and making it age-appropriate, can be a very effective educational tool.2
3
Math students at Illinois Valley Community College devised calculus problems for one Edible Car Contest. Participants could do the following calculations:
Volume of the body of the car (use integral for area under the curve evaluated with integration tables)
Balance the car and a weight (use moments and fulcrum placement for equilibrium)
Work to lift the car with a crane (use integral to calculate work) Velocity from position; acceleration from velocity (use differentiation of
position and velocity functions; ignore friction) Area of the side of the car (use integral for area under the curve; could be
solved using geometry) Position and velocity from acceleration (use integration of the acceleration
function; ignore friction) At IVCC, faculty are encouraged to develop their own assignments and contest organizers will add that assignment as a category in the judging. (See Sample Email to Faculty Announcing Contest at the end of this section.) Faculty are notified a semester ahead to allow them time to work the contest into their course schedules.
High school teams from a regional career center prepared and submitted CAD designs with their vehicles. The “Twinkie-mobile” at left won a First Place in Design and a First Place in the High School category in the Illinois Valley Community College contest.
Pre-Training for the Contest Contests provide excellent opportunities for lessons related to the contest/classroom goals and requirements with a student audience attentive to background and advice to give them a competitive edge. As mentioned above,
4
some contests invite engineers to provide advice on vehicle design. Some instructors utilize contest entries as examples for theoretical concepts, such as velocity, acceleration, or nutritional values. The Sample Participant Activity Sheet below is utilized in a middle school camp for girls to reinforce math concepts and serve as the focus for discussing vehicle design. In the IVCC contest for second graders, the contest is the impetus for giving the young people an age-appropriate introduction to who an engineer is, what an engineer does, and basic vehicle design concepts.
The entry , at left, that careened into the reflective eye at the finish line and the entry, at right, which failed just past the starting line, provide excellent opportunities to discuss or review design/materials issues relating to axel strength, vehicle weight, and stress factors after a contest.
These vegetable and fruit creations, both winners in a nutrition category, not only invite discussion and assignments related to food values but also related to vehicle design since both have problems with wheels and axels.
5
Sample Participant Activity Sheet Edible Car Contest for Middle School
Constraints for the Edible Cars
1. The cars must be built entirely from food items edible to humans 2. Entries must look like cars 3. Entries must have at least two axles and at least three wheels, all edible to
humans. 4. To be eligible for a speed prize, the entry must roll down a ramp approximately
three feet long. T eam/Car Name: Edible Car Design: Materials L ist: As you build the prototype for your car , identify any challenges that you encounter and how you overcome them. Calculate the average speed of your edible car:
Edible car’s average speed = (Distance Traveled)/(Time to Travel the Distance) 1. What challenges did you encounter when building the prototype for your car? And,
how did you overcome them? 2. Did you car successfully make it down the ramp? 3. How fast did your car go? 4. How would you change the design of your car to make it better?
6
Sample Email to Faculty Announcing Contest
As you plan your spring semester courses, keep the IVCC Edible Car Contest -- Wednesday, Feb. 16 -- in mind. Please encourage your students to practice skills they are learning in your classes, to have fun, and to compete for prizes by offering them some incentive to enter the Edible Car Contest. WHAT IS THE EDIBLE CAR CONTEST? A contest in which student teams compete in building a vehicle entirely of food edible to humans. The contest is sponsored by the Career and Technical Programs Division and supported by the National Science Foundation to celebrate National Engineering Week. WHY SHOULD MY STUDENTS COMPETE IN AN ENGINEERING CONTEST? The Edible Car Contest isn't really an engineering contest. It is an engaging, hands-on exercise adaptable to various subject areas, limited only by our imaginations. For example, students could
determine the nutritional values of the cars build cars entirely from food items popular in an area they are studying (A car
made of German food won Best Foreign Car in a previous contest) calculate various ratios, wheel sizes, axles, body size and weight write instructions for building the car or sales pitches for marketing it
We will add a prize category specifically for your students. Let us know what category you'd like added (such as Best Nutritional Value, for students in a nutrition class) and if you'd like to participate as a judge. We also encourage participation in a Student Organization and/or Athletic Team category, and in a Faculty-Staff category. In addition to categories you develop, prizes will be awarded in such categories as Best Design and Best Detail. Speed prizes will also be awarded; participants can race their vehicles on a computer-timed track designed for this contest. WHO CAN ENTER? Teams must include three or more students, at least one female. One goal of the contest is to encourage more women to consider technical careers. WHEN AND WHERE IS THE CONTEST?
Wed., Feb. 16, noon in the cafeteria WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CARS, THE CONTEST RULES AND HOW DO TEAMS SIGN UP?
7
Contest rules and entry forms as well as photos of past entries and winners available at www.ivcc.edu/nsf. Click on the drop down for Edible Car Contest and select Contest for IVCC and High School Students FOR MORE INFORMATION www.ivcc.edu/nsf and click on Edible Car Contest drop down and select Contest for IVCC Students
http://www.ivcc.edu/nsf/Edible Car Contest 2011/index.html See winners from previous contests. Email, call or see: Dorene Perez, D105, extension 221 Jim Gibson, D107A, extension 453 Sue Caley Opsal, B319, extension 412 Rose Marie Lynch, C349, home phone 223-2261
8
Entry Categories and Judging Categories
Categories can be developed to match the contest purpose(s), classes or subject areas being encouraged or required to enter, ages of the contestants, amount of time and funding devoted to the contest, and special interests of sponsors. Entry and judging ideas are limited only by the creativity and imagination of organizers and student participants. At Texas Woman’s University, participants must keep the cost of an entry under $15 and submit a statement of theme or purpose of the design.3 Faculty at Illinois Valley Community College are encouraged to develop categories for their students and to provide or suggest judges for those categories; contest organizers provide prizes for those categories. Possible Categories
Speed – Fastest down a ramp of a specified length Distance – Travels the furthest, intact, after rolling down a ramp Most durable – Survives several runs down a ramp Best design – Can be based on specific criteria Best detail Best axle or wheel materials or design Most nutritious or least nutritious – Can develop a number of variations
such as most or least carbohydrates etc. Most creative Most colorful Most appealing or most disgusting Least expensive (or most expensive) – Can set a limit on amount teams
can spend and ask for amount spent on entry blank Student organizations Athletic teams Best school spirit Shortest shelf life or longest shelf life Best in an age category Vehicles that look like:
o Animals o Musical instruments o Human body parts – For anatomy and
physiology students, for example Above is a heart-shaped
entry that won an anatomy and physiology award.
Vehicles that suggest: o TV shows – A police car, for example, for a crime drama o Movies – A vehicle that resembles a boat for the “Titanic” o Performers or music groups
9
Best oral presentation about vehicle Best written presentation Best foreign vehicle
The sausage and sauerkraut entry at right was a winner as Best Foreign Car. The vehicle, which sports a German flag made of candy, was designed by members of the German Club.
To determine a winner in an overall category, a number of categories can be combined and a rubric developed; for example, design, detail, and speed points or winners could determine the Best Overall. Special judging categories can be added by the organizers or judges, based on the entries submitted. For example, one entry in the Illinois Valley Community College contest, pictured at right, was so low-slung that it failed to trip the electronic eye used to time the speed competition. Since it survived four runs down the track, judges named it the Durability Award Winner, not a usual category in the competition.
10
Sample Entry Numbers (To place near each entry – for judging)
CONTESTANT # _______
TEAM NAME _________________
Edible Car Contest
Sponsored by XXXXXXXXXXXXX
PROSPECTIVE ENGINEERS # ______
Edible Car Contest
Illinois Valley Community College
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM # ______
TEAM NAME _______________
Edible Car Contest
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM # ____
Edible Car Contest
NUTRITION CATEGORY ENTRY # _______
TEAM NAME ___________________
Edible Car Contest
STUDENT ORGANIZATION CATEGORY ENTRY # ____
Edible Car Contest
11
Sample Tent Cards for Contest Tables (To identify categories of entries)
12
Contest Rules
Contest rules should be based on the goals of the contest, age of participants, contest categories, and limitations from location, time frame, and budget. Requirements to consider include:
Number of axels and wheels. Typically entries must have two axels and three or four wheels.
Composed entirely or largely of food items edible to human. A few contests do allow the limited use of toothpicks or bamboo skewers to assist in assembly.
Any limits on the size of the vehicle. Any limits on the amount of money that can be spent on food items. Any limits on types of food that can be used. Individual or team participation, and if team, any team limits. Most
contests are for teams, with some setting a limit on the team size. Some require a team to include at least one female, as is true at Illinois Valley Community College since one purpose of the IVCC contest is to encourage more women to consider technical careers.
Special rules necessitated by judging categories; for example, will calculations, written explanations, budgets, or drawings of the design need to be submitted with the entry?
For a speed or distance competition, whether the vehicle has to cross the finish line or complete the run intact, and whether a push to start a vehicle or pounding on or shaking the track to start a vehicle disqualifies it.
A question about rules emerges from the entry at the right: Does the vehicle have to cross the finish line (masking tape) intact for the time to count or does the loss of a headlight (peppermint candy) disqualify the run? And if vehicles need a push to start, do they qualify?
13
Sample Contest Rules
Contest Rules – FOR IVCC STUDENT TEAMS
1. Cars must be built entirely from food items edible to humans.
EXAMPLES: Car bodies have been made from cucumbers, hot dogs, ice cream cones and a loaf of bread, and wheels of pinwheel pasta, cookies, Moon Pies.
2. Each team must consist of a minimum of three students; at least one team member must be female. *
3. Each team may enter one car, and each student may be on one team only. 4. Entries must look like vehicles. 5. Entries must have at least two axles and at least three wheels, also entirely made
from food items edible to humans. 6. To be eligible for a speed prize, an entry must roll down a ramp 3 feet long. 7. At least one member of the team must be present at the competition for the entry to
be eligible for a prize. *One goal of the contest is to encourage more women to consider technical careers.
FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS High school teams are encouraged to meet the IVCC student team requirements of a minimum of three members and one female on each team; however, high school teams are eligible to compete without meeting those requirements. High school team advisors must notify contest organizers (see below) that high school team(s) are competing and if those teams will not meet the IVCC student team requirements. High school teams will compete in a category just for high school teams and will also be judged in and eligible for prizes in other general categories such as design, detail, speed and creativity.
FOR IVCC FACULTY/STAFF
Faculty/staff teams must have a minimum of three members; there is no maximum. Faculty/staff teams do not have to include a female, although that is recommended. JUDGES: Area engineers and other celebrities. JUDGING CRITERIA: Aerodynamics, design, speed, creativity and other subject or course specific criteria to be added. In a tie, the car that tastes best to the judges will be declared the winner. Decisions of the judges are final. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.ivcc.edu/nsf
Or contact: Dorene Perez, D105, 224-0221, [email protected] Jim Gibson, D107A, 224-0453, [email protected] Sue Caley Opsal, B-319, 224-0412, [email protected] Rose Marie Lynch, [email protected]
SPONSORS: The MIMIC project and the Career and Technical Programs Division The contest of IVCC in celebration of originated as a National Engineering Week. National Science
Foundation grant- supported project
14
Sample Entry Form for Students
OFFICIAL EDIBLE CAR CONTEST ENTRY FORM 2011
Deadline for submitting this form: 11 a.m. Wed., Feb. 16
Competition: Noon Wed., Feb. 16, Cafeteria Check In: 9: 00 - 11:00 a.m. Wed., Feb. 16, Cafeteria
PL E ASE PRIN T C A R E F U L L Y
T E A M N A M E______________________________________________
F IRST A ND L AST N A M E
please print
Check one Email Print carefully HS I V C C
F resh. I V C C Soph.
ENGINEER #1
ENGINEER #2
ENGINEER #3
ENGINEER #4*
*Each team must have a minimum of three members but may include more. A t least one member of the team must be female (encouraging women to consider technical careers is one goal of the contest) Contact person on team ____________________Contact Person Phone # __________
I f you are participating for a course in which you are enrolled: name the course _________________ the instructor ______________________
If you are competing in a special category for that course, name the category________ If you are a high school team, name your high school ___________________________ and your high school teacher/advisor ___________________________ Return this form to:
Dorene Perez in D-105 , Jim Gibson in D107A, Sue Caley Opsal in B 319 or the contest table in the cafeteria during check in time
For more information: www.ivcc.edu/nsf See photos of past winners
Office use: Entry #_____________________
15
Sample Entry Form – Faculty/Staff Members
FACULTY / STAFF ENTRY FORM Edible Car Contest
2011
TEAM NAME
LEAD ENGINEER
E N G IN E E R #2
E N G IN E E R #3
E N G IN E E R #4
E N G IN E E R #5
Each faculty / staff team must have a minimum of two members, but there is no maximum. Return this form to:
Dorene Perez in D-105 Jim Gibson in D-107A Sue Caley Opsal in B-319 The contest table in the cafeteria at check in
Deadline for submitting this form and your entry: 11 a.m. W ed., Feb. 16
Competition: Noon, W ed., Feb. 16, Cafeteria Check In: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., W ed., F eb. 16, Cafeteria
For more information: www.ivcc.edu/nsf Or contact:
Dorene Perez, D105, 224-0221, [email protected] Jim Gibson, D107A, 224-0452, [email protected] Sue Caley Opsal, B319, 224-0412, [email protected] Rose Marie Lynch, C349, 224-0209, [email protected]
Office use: Entry # FS________
16
Supplies and Equipment for a Contest
For a contest in which students build vehicles on their own time and with their own food items, only a few supplies are needed:
Clean up materials (paper towels) Plastic to cover tables where vehicles will be displayed Trash cans
For a speed contest:
A sloping surface to use as a track, such as the table at right and below with one set of legs folded up.
Plastic to cover the floor around the track, and tape to attach it, for an indoor contest.
A stopwatch. Something for a starting gate, such as a
spatula, illustrated at right.
For the first contests at IVCC, organizers timed the speed runs with a stopwatch. Later, electronics students designed and programmed the setup illustrated below left.
A stopwatch is all that is needed to time speed runs, but the high tech setup at right is utilized at IVCC to showcase the electronics program.
A programmable logic controller (PLC) times the speed. The control is connected to a computer running Rockwell Automated software. The timing setup, attached to the sides of the table, utilizes a reflective photo eye at the start and an emitter and receiver photo eye at the finish. At the latest contest, IVCC electronics students said they have plans to design and program a robotic arm to replace the spatula that has been used as a starting gate.
17
While the setup IVCC uses is high tech, it is also relatively portable; it is utilized for contests at schools throughout the college district, providing organizers with an opportunity to promote the IVCC electronics program. For a distance contest:
A sloping surface to start the vehicle runs. Since a distance contest would often be part of the speed competition, it would use the same track.
Plastic to cover the floor, for an indoor contest. A tape measure.
For a Contest With Vehicles Constructed On Site For a contest in which the participants will construct vehicles on site, in addition to the supplies listed above, food items are needed for:
The body The axels The wheels To secure the wheels Decorative touches
Age-appropriate utensils are needed to cut, pierce or drill through the food items: knives, bamboo skewers. Paper plates are useful for carrying food items to the tables where vehicles are being constructed and for carrying/displaying the vehicles.
Food on this table is for axels, wheels and decorations for an Edible Car Contest for Kids. A sloping table, in upper right, is for the speed contest. The slope is created by folding the legs up on one side.
Materials on the table above, from a contest for second graders, illustrate the types of food used for everything except the body of the vehicles. For this contest, students bring vehicle bodies with them. Hot dog buns, submarine buns,
18
snack cakes, small loaves of bread, and hot dogs are popular choices for the bodies. Fruit such as bananas, and vegetables such as cucumbers, potatoes or squash are good choices if the participants are old enough, well supervised, or assisted by an adult so they can work safely with sharp objects to cut, pierce or drill through the fruit or vegetable to accommodate the axels.
These photos illustrate the types of vehicles second graders have constructed in just over an hour.
Items such as pretzel sticks, peppermint sticks, beef sticks and cinnamon sticks work for axels. Wheels can be made of small bagels, rice cakes, cookies, donuts, small cheeses, and even slices of cucumber or zucchini. Soft candy, such as fruit rollups, gummy fruit and even marshmallows, can be molded and used to keep the wheels on the axels. Frosting in a can or tube and cheese in a can also work to assemble the vehicle parts. Possibilities for the creative side of the design – the decorative touches -- include a variety of small, colorful candies, fruit rollups, sprinkles. Frosting or cheese in a can or tube can be used to attach the decorations. For younger students, adding the decorations can be the most engaging part of the construction. Some contests allow limited use of non-food items for assembly, such as toothpicks or bamboo skewers.
19
The vehicles above were constructed by teenage girls, without any pre-training and utilizing materials provided by contest organizers, in just a little over an hour.
20
Judges
For contests which include more than speed or distance competitions, judges can be drawn from a number of fields based on contest goals, judging categories and scheduling of the contest. Potential candidates include engineers, scientists, representatives of any automotive related field, representatives of any field that is the focus of the contest, restaurant owners/managers/chefs, and members of the institution’s board of trustees, faculty or staff. IVCC faculty who create special categories for their students (such as a nutrition category for nutrition students) are asked to judge or to suggest someone else to judge that category. College students can act as judges for contests with young people. Members of the IVCC Leadership Team for Technical Students have judged the college’s Edible Car Contest for Kids. Scheduling of vehicle/entry check-in (or vehicle completion) and an awards ceremony needs to allow time for judges to be briefed about their duties, the categories, rules, and any paperwork they need to complete. Sufficient time also needs to be scheduled to give judges time to review the entries and for judges or organizers to tabulate winners. At IVCC, the deadline for checking in a vehicle is one hour before the speed competition begins. Judges review the vehicles and make their choices in categories such as creativity or design during that hour.
A faculty member, above, and a restaurant owner, below, judge the IVCC
Edible Car Contest. Since judging for the IVCC contest occurs while spectators are gathering, IVCC judges are
provided with t-shirts or baseball caps plus name badges to make
them visible.
21
Sample Judging Sheet
Category
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
22
Sample Judging Tally Sheet
Judging Tally Sheet – CATEGORY: __________________
Entry Number
Points Awarded Based on Judging 1st place = 3 2nd place = 2 3rd place = 1
TOTAL
23
Sample Form for Recording Speeds
T ime – for Speed Category
Entry # Time Entry # Time
24
Prizes
Prizes for a contest can range from computer-generated certificates or low-cost chocolate cars to trophies or cash awards. Since prizes are typically the main budget item for a contest, careful selection of prizes can be the best strategy for ensuring that a contest is cost effective. Industry sponsors can also be asked to provide prizes or funding for them. Texas Woman’s University awards cash prizes, but they also charge for an entry.4
At Illinois Valley Community College, First Place prizes have included an inexpensive trophy, filled with candy, plus a First Place lanyard: produced commercially (center) or designed and created by the contest organizers (right). Many of the additional prizes, for Second and Third Place have been food and vehicle-related in keeping with the edible theme: chocolate or candy cars, for example. Since demonstrating the creativity and fun in designing and building the cars is a goal of the contests, creative prizes are appropriate.
The top prize for a recent contest was the pickled garlic in a container shaped like an eagle, at left. Since IVCC’s mascot is an eagle, this prize was a real find. The prize table, above, is from IVCC’s 2011 contest for IVCC and high school students. Prizes include a number of car-themed chocolate or candy treats.
25
Sample Certificates
2011
26
Expenses for a Contest
Edible car contests can be very cost effective promotional events. Supplies to construct vehicles on site and prizes are typically the biggest expenses. But costs of both can be minimized. Below is a list of potential expenses to consider in drafting a budget and suggestions on minimizing costs. Supplies for Constructing Vehicles on Site The budget needs to include food items, paper plates or trays, and cutting tools such as plastic knives. Participants can be asked to bring some of the food items and some items can be solicited from sponsors, business/industry representatives, and even super markets. Prizes Prizes can range from computer-generated paper certificates to trophies specifically designed for the contest or cash. Car or racing-themed candy can be utilized as creative and inexpensive prizes. Prizes can also be solicited from sponsors, business/industry representatives, and super markets. A public information or marketing office may also be able to provide institutional promotional items to use as prizes.
Equipment Equipment for a contest will depend on the categories for judging. For a speed or distance category, a sloping surface is needed. A piece of plywood works, as does something as simple, and free, as a table with folding legs. The legs on one side can be folded up to create a slope. Start and finish lines can be marked with tape. A stopwatch is all that is needed to time the speed runs, and a tape measure for distance. A cooking spatula works as a starting gate.
27
IVCC began offering contests with those simple pieces of equipment and developed an electronic timing set-up in order to promote the electronics program. Set Up and Clean Up Materials Set up and clean up materials include such things as plastic to protect floors and tables and paper towels, which may be available from the buildings and grounds/facilities department.
Copying / Printing of Contest Paperwork The paperwork for a contest includes entry forms, signs, judging documents, surveys, etc. Promotional Items While some contests may not utilize promotional items, for other contests, the distribution of promotional items may be a significant goal of the competition. Costs of promotional items can be controlled by utilizing some items already developed to promote programs, by shopping for cost-effective items available online, and by designing and developing items themselves specifically for the contest. As with prizes, some promotional items might be available through the institution’s public information or marketing office. Lunch for Participants and Judges While many contests will not provide a meal, if participants are visitors to the institution and promoting the institution or programs is a contest goal, organizers should consider providing something simple such as a sandwich or pizza and soda if the contest is near meal time. Gear for Judges or Organizers Will the judges or contest organizers be identified in any way other than a name badge? Baseball caps or t-shirts do make judges and organizers more visible, but increase contest costs unless those items can be solicited from the institution’s public information or marketing office.
28
T-shirts specifically designed for the contest can be eye-catching and relatively inexpensive if computer-generated iron-on designs are utilized, such as in the illustrations above.
Staffing Staffing should not be an expense for a contest since the organization and planning will typically be done by an institution’s staff members as part of their jobs or on a volunteer basis. Volunteers can also be recruited to help on contest day.
The vehicle on the left won a prize for Most Colorful in an IVCC Contest. The vehicle above was eye-catching because of its creative use of peppers.
29
Planning and Organizing a Contest
The time and effort to organize and offer an edible car contest depends on the nature and goals of the competition: the complexity of the contest, the number and age of the participants, the funding for the contest, and the amount of attention organizers want the contest to attract. Contests can be relatively simple with participants competing in one category, for example, distance or speed. And some, particularly for young people, include no more than a handful of participants. Others are media events, recruiting as many participants from the target audience as possible. The suggestions listed below are designed to assist organizers in planning a contest of some complexity but can be helpful in the planning of smaller, simple competitions. Planning and Organizing Suggestions – Early Stages
Recruit a team to work on the contest Determine contest purpose and audience Review available funding and draft a budget, considering the suggestions
below Recruit sponsors, as needed Schedule contest and reserve location Set contest rules Determine judging categories Determine if special equipment or materials will be needed for the
competition. Decide nature of prizes (trophies, gift cards, chocolate cars, etc.) Consider, plan, and schedule any pre-training for participants Decide what the contest set-up and ceremony will include to meet contest
purpose(s). For example, will anyone be invited to provide a display? Determine deadlines and set a schedule for contest day. For example,
when are vehicles submitted? When does judging occur? If participants will be visitors to your institution, plan for accommodations
needed. Will they need lunch? Will they need transportation? Will they want driving or parking directions?
Recruit/invite people to be included in the contest set-up, such as industry representatives to set up displays.
Invite judges Develop entry forms Develop and distribute promotional messages to encourage participation
as appropriate and at an appropriate time depending on the audience. For example, email messages to faculty asking them to encourage their
30
students to participate needs to be sent early enough for the faculty to include the contest in their class schedules.
With contests after the first year, review suggestions from the previous year.
Plan for assessment Later Stages
Print and distribute entry forms and contest rules. Depending on contest audience, post entry forms and rules online
Notify potential participants as appropriate: post signs, notices about the contest, and issue reminders as needed.
Order/purchase/make prizes Order/purchase any equipment or supplies needed Develop and distribute press release information to media outlets.
Remind media outlets of photo opportunities a day or two before the contest.
Develop assessment(s) Determine judging criteria for contest categories and develop any forms
needed by judges in selecting winners Create a system for identifying entries that will be on display and develop
any labels/signs/paperwork needed Recruit any additional help for the contest – for check-in, clean up, etc. Set ceremony agenda
Just Before the Contest
Assemble all of the materials, supplies, paperwork, prizes. promotional items – everything needed for contest day.
Plan the award ceremony to include: o Introductions of organizers, sponsors, judges o Explanation of purpose of contest o Reminders of anything needed from participants; i.e. complete
surveys, etc. Plan/prepare instructions for people helping with check-in and other
contest day details. After the Contest
Prepare and distribute press release information about winners. As
appropriate, post results online. Compile paperwork such as surveys or assessments from participants Thank anyone who helped or contributed Debrief with organizing team and prepare suggestions for the next contest Set the date and schedule the location for the next contest
31
Assessing a Contest
The impact of an edible car contest on participants can and should be assessed utilizing goal-oriented and age-appropriate methods. Those assessments can also provide useful suggestions for future contests. The goal(s) of a contest should determine the focus of an assessment. If, for example, the goal is to increase interest in engineering careers, the assessment should focus on whether participation in the contest has affected participants’ attitudes toward engineering. If a goal is to teach content, for example math or physics concepts, the assessment should include knowledge-based questions. In either case, both pre contest and post contest assessments might provide a more accurate picture. Methods for assessing the impact of a contest also need to be age-appropriate. While printed surveys can be effective with middle school, high school and college-age participants, the impact on younger participants can be more accurately gauged through a show of hands in response to questions or through interviews. The length and complexity of an assessment should be determined by the time and effort participants devote to preparing for a contest, including attention devoted to pre-training and contest-related work in the classroom and by the number of participants and their availability to be surveyed or questioned. Since the goal of the IVCC Contest is to increase awareness of and interest in engineering, participants are asked to complete a simple, anonymous, one-page survey as they check-in their vehicles (See Sample Participant Survey at the end of this section). To encourage students to complete the surveys, the names of all students who turn them in are entered in a prize drawing. For a contest offered to single, teenage mothers, both pre and post surveys were administered. (See Sample Pre and Post Surveys at the end of this section.) And since the event included an introduction to engineering technology opportunities for women, the surveys include knowledge-based questions. A one-page, engineering knowledge-based quiz is also administered to participants and spectators at the IVCC Contest (See Sample Engineering Quiz in the Capitalizing on Promotional Opportunities section). That quiz is designed as a teaching or informational awareness tool, not to gauge learning about engineering that may have occurred during construction of the vehicles. The quiz is administered to participants and spectators gathering for the contest; contest organizers grade the responses immediately; and correct answers are announced during the awards ceremony – which is the purpose of administering the quiz. Prizes are awarded to winners in two categories: students in engineering-related programs and all others
32
Assessment Results Since edible car contests are typically short-term activities, outcomes will also be transitory. However, results of assessments can guide and assist in generating support for future contests, can assist in promoting awareness related to contest goals, and may generate ideas for other activities to engage the target audience. Edible car contest organizers at IVCC share results of the participant surveys with teachers and staff of schools or organizations collaborating on the contests and encourage them to share the results with the students/participants. For the IVCC Contest, the results are shared with college staff and posted on the edible car contest web page. Assessments of the IVCC Contest have been very positive, with between 30 to 50 percent of non-engineering students reporting that building the vehicles increased their interest in an engineering-related career field. Assessments of the contest IVCC offered for single teenage mothers in spring 2011 were also very positive. A comparison of pre and post surveys revealed that their attitudes toward engineering improved, and most of the young women reported an increased interest in an engineering-related field as well as more technical confidence. Assessments of contests with young people also clearly indicate the contests are fun and serve as a good platform for teaching or reinforcing any number of theoretical concepts.
These two vehicles were top winners at an IVCC Contest. The Magic School bus, at the left,
won First in Nutrition, First in Creativity, Third in Detail and Tied for Judges’ Favorite. The Noodle Wagon, at right, won First in Speed, Tied for Judges’ Favorite, and won
Third in Design and Creativity.
33
Sample Participant Survey
EDIBLE CAR CONTEST SURVEY
If you are an IVCC student, your major or career field___________________________ If you are a high school student, your career plans _____________________________ Are you _____ male _____ female Did planning and building your car make you more aware of the creativity required to be an engineering technician? ______ yes ______ no Did it increase your interest in any engineering-related field? _____ yes _____ no Designing a car from food that actually rolls requires competence in technology, science and math. Were you surprised that you were able to build your car?
______ yes _______ no What did you most like about building the car? What was the most difficult part of building the car?
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
There are good career opportunities in engineering and engineering technology.
Engineering and engineering technology talent is in short supply in the U.S.
Are you aware that IVCC offers transfer programs in engineering and industrial engineering technology, two-year career degrees in computer-aided engineering and design, and certificates in computer-aided drafting? _____ yes _____ no What suggestions do you have for future edible car contests?
Submit this survey where you checked in and you are eligible for a prize drawing!
The Edible Car Contest is held in celebration of National Engineers Week
34
Sample Participant Pre-Survey PRE SURVEY (FOR WOMEN)
Stro
ngly
agre
e
Agre
e
No op
inion
u
nsur
e
Disa
gree
Stro
ngly
disag
ree
1 Engineering is a good career for a woman.
2 Engineering is a good career for a man.
3 Engineers need to be creative.
4 Engineers need to have good communication skills
5 Engineers need to work well with people and be good team players.
6 Engineers must have good math skills
7 Engineers must have a good background in science.
8 Engineers make a big contribution to our lives.
9. Engineers are “cool.”
10. Math is fun
11. Science is fun.
12. I feel confident about my technical skills.
13. I have thought about a career as an engineer or engineering technician
14. My parent(s) have suggested I consider a career in science, technology, engineering or math.
15. How many women do you know who are in science, technology, engineering and
math careers? ______ None ______ 1 or 2 ______ 3 to 5 _____more than 5
16. Match the words with the definitions below:
_____a. Engineer _____b. Engineering Technician
1. Work is hands-on – emphasis on practical applications. Typically requires a 2-year degree.
2. Designs structures, machines, systems, etc. More theoretical. Typically requires a 4-year degree
17. Are you aware that IVCC offers programs in engineering and industrial engineering technology that transfer to four-year colleges?______ Yes ______ No 17. Are you aware that IVCC offers two-year career degrees in computer-aided
engineering and design and in electronics technology that lead to employment? ______ Yes ______ No
19. Comments:
35
Sample Participant Post Survey POST SURVEY ( FOR WOMEN)
Stro
ngly
ag
ree
Agr
ee
Und
ecid
ed
-uns
ure
Dis
agre
e
Stro
ngly
di
sagr
ee
1 Engineering is a good career for a woman.
2 Engineering is a good career for a man.
3 Engineers need to be creative.
4 Engineers need to have good communication skills
5 Engineers need to work well with people and be good team players.
6 Engineers must have good math skills
7 Engineers must have a good background in science.
8 Engineers make a big contribution to our lives.
9. Engineers are “cool.”
10. Today’s activity improved my confidence in my technical skills.
11. Today’s activity made me more aware of the creativity required to be an engineering technician.
12. Today’s activity increased my interest in an engineering – related field.
13. Match the words with the definitions below:
_____a. Engineer _____b. Engineering Technician
1. Work is hands-on – emphasis on practical
applications. Typically requires a 2-year degree. 2. Designs structures, machines, systems, etc. More
theoretical. Typically requires a 4-year degree 14. Are you aware that IVCC offers programs in engineering and industrial engineering technology that transfer to four-year colleges? ______ Yes ______ No 15. Are you aware that IVCC offers two-year career degrees in computer-aided engineering and design and in electronics technology that lead to employment?
______ Yes ______ No 21. Comments:
36
Capitalizing on Promotional Opportunities
Edible Car Contests provide excellent opportunities to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Many contests originate from engineering programs, but the knowledge and skills that can be incorporated into a contest span the entire STEM area and beyond, as the section on Ideas for Classroom-Related Assignments illustrates. In addition to promoting public awareness of the contest’s focus area through news stories about the competition, an Edible Car Contest provides numerous promotional opportunities. Before the Competition Schedule the contest in as public and accessible a location as possible. IVCC’s earliest contests were held in the college’s main lobby, the best location on campus for drawing a crowd. However, the contest was disruptive to the offices in the area. Contests are now being held in the college cafeteria -- still public, a bit easier to clean up, and appropriate for an edible car contest. As part of the scheduling, remember to include requests for room set-ups as needed: for example, tables for displaying cars, prizes and check-in. Depending on the anticipated audience size consider a microphone. Utilize prizes as promotional items. A trophy is likely to be kept and displayed by winners. Other prizes, such as a key ring, attached to a button that reads “First Place in Edible Car Contest,” might be used by winners and visible to others. At IVCC, as a promotion for the college’s programs, high school teams are invited to compete with the college teams. All of the high school students receive a give-away such as a key ring with a button that reads “IVCC Edible Car Contest Winner.” Before the competition, notify faculty (and staff if appropriate) if you wish to encourage their participation or the participation of their students. Those notices can also create awareness of the contest’s purposes. Since the IVCC contest is for both IVCC and high school students, faculty are notified through email in the semester before the competition so that can include the contest in their course schedules. The notifications emphasize the classroom-related possibilities and encourage faculty to develop a special category for their students; IVCC contest organizers provide prizes for those categories. For some IVCC contests, faculty have also been offered small incentives, such as $5 bookstore gift certificates, to encourage their students to enter. In the classroom, potential participants of any age can be a receptive audience for contest-related information and training. For example, for a contest with an engineering-related purpose, classroom exercises can focus on what an engineer does or on providing suggestions for design problems. Professionals in
37
the field being targeted by the contest can be invited to provide that training. Teamwork training is also a possibility since most contests are for team entries. Other, typical avenues for promoting an event, such as postings on social networking sites, web sites, posters, and tent cards can be useful for reaching students not reached through other avenues and for reminding faculty and students. (See Sample Poster.) A CAUTION ABOUT USING PHOTOGRAPHS ON PROMOTIONAL ITEMS: Utilize photographs of recognizable participants or spectators on promotional items and in promotional postings only if the person/people have signed a photo release. (See Sample Photo/ Video/ Statement Release at end of this section.) If the participant/ spectator is under 18, a parent or guardian must also sign a release. IVCC contest organizers have signed releases for the photographs of students who are posted on the Edible Car Contest web site. Photographs of participants or spectators can be used without permission as part of legitimate news stories. (See Publicizing the Contest Through the Media.) During the Competition Promotional possibilities during the competition include:
Displays provided by businesses/industries Displays provided by colleges. For community colleges, for example,
displays by transfer universities with programs in the career field(s) being targeted would be appropriate.
Displays provided by students in related fields. A contest can be a good place to showcase student work to participants and spectators.
Posters promoting the program or field. Promotional materials or give-aways available or even handed to
participants and/or spectators, such as flyers, brochures, pens, key rings. Video/computer-generated promotional materials displayed on a screen,
as participants are checking in and spectators are reviewing entries. A short quiz over the targeted career area(s) being offered to participants
and spectators. Offering a prize for correct answers can be a good motivator. Most importantly, announcing the correct answers during the award ceremony promotes awareness. (See Sample Engineering Quiz at the end of this section.)
Some type of game, perhaps Jeopardy-like, with a focus on the targeted career field, offered to participants and/or spectators. As with the quiz above, offering a prize will promote participation and announcing correct answers during the award ceremony will promote awareness.
Highlighting career programs/fields through materials or equipment utilized in the contest. At IVCC, for example, the speed competition is timed by electronics equipment programmed by students. The equipment/software
38
and student role in programming it are part of the contest ceremony announcements.
A survey (or interview) of participants on their reactions to building the edible car, such as what was the most fun, what was the most challenging, what they learned. Answering those questions can reinforce the participants’ positive reactions and help participants be more aware of the learning that has taken place. Positive survey responses can also be very helpful in promoting future contests, in generating support, and in requesting funding. Offering a prize for completing the survey can be a good motivator. To encourage honest responses, IVCC surveys are anonymous; students who complete a survey submit their names on a separate slip, and a winner is drawn during the award ceremony. (See Sample Contest Survey at the end of this section.
Asking participants if they would like more information about the program or career field being targeted, on any of the paperwork they complete, provides an incredible opportunity for future, personal contact.
After the Competition After the contest:
Thank any faculty who encouraged their students to participate. The entry forms for the IVCC contest ask the students to identify any instructor who offered extra credit for them to participate; IVCC organizers send the names of those students to the instructors.
Contact participants who have asked for more information. The engineering quiz administered as part of the IVCC contest asks for names and contact information of anyone who wants more information about engineering technology programs.
Middle school students watch the speed competition in the school gym. While the contest was limited to eighth graders, sixth and seventh graders attended the speed contest providing an enthusiastic audience for the young designers.
39
Sample Engineering Quiz for Participants / Spectators
ENGINEERING QUIZ 1. Spell out what the initials CAD stand for.
C_________________ A___________________ D___________________ 2. Match the words with the definitions below:
_____a. Engineer _____b. Engineering Technician
3. Work is hands-on – emphasis on practical applications. Typically requires a 2-year degree.
4. Designs structures, machines, systems, etc. More theoretical. Typically requires a 4-year degree
5. Three specialties within the field of engineering are mechanical, electrical and civil
engineering. Name two others.
a. _________________________________________ b. _________________________________________
6. What percentage of engineers are women?
10% to 20% 21% to 30% 31% to 40% 41% to 50% 51% or more
7. Check all of the engineering and engineering technology-related programs IVCC
offers. _____ Engineering – transfer _____ Industrial/Engineering Technology – transfer _____ Pre-Architecture – transfer _____ Associate in Engineering Science degree _____ Associate in Applied Science in Computer Aided Engineering and Design _____ Computer Aided Drafting certificate _____ Associate in Applied Science in Electronics
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Are you enrolled in an engineering, electronics, drafting, or CAD course or programs?
______ Yes ______ No YOUR NAME (please print)_________________________________________________ YOUR PHONE _____________________________________________________ If you would like more information about engineering careers or IVCC engineering or engineering technology programs, please provide your email address_______________________ and / or your mailing address ______________________________________________________
Submit this quiz and you are eligible for a prize! The Edible Car Contest is held in celebration of National Engineers Week
40
Sample Contest Sign
Enter the
EDIBLE CAR CONTEST
BUILD A CAR FROM FOOD…
...WIN PRIZES
Wed., F eb. 16, noon Cafeteria
Second in Detail in 2010
Open to teams:
3 or more students Must include 1 female*
*Encouraging women to consider technical careers is one goal of the contest
ENTRY BLANKS & CONTEST RULES: At www.ivcc.edu/nsf Dorene Perez, D105, [email protected] Jim Gibson, D107A [email protected] Rose Marie Lynch, [email protected] Sue Caley Opsal, B319 [email protected]
ENTRY BLANKS DUE: Wed., Feb. 16, 11 a.m.
Sponsored by the MIMIC Project and the Career and Technical Programs Division.
Originally funded by a
National Science Foundation grant.
41
Sample Photo/Statement Releases for Underage Students
Photo/Video Statement Release
Parent/Guardian Consent Form
I consent to my child (or ward’s) photographs, video and statements taken by Illinois Valley Community College being used in possible promotional or educational materials, including IVCC’s Web site. Parent/Guardian Printed Name _______________________ Parent/Guardian Signature____________________________ Child/Ward’s Name _______________________Date_________
I llinois Valley Community College
Any questions regarding this consent can be directed to Dorene Perez, Illinois Valley Community College, 815 North Orlando Smith Ave., Oglesby, IL 61348. Phone: 815-224-0221.
Photo/Video Statement Release
Student Consent Form
I hereby release rights to photographs, video and statements taken by Illinois Valley Community College to use in possible promotional or educational materials, including IVCC’s Web site. Student Signature__________________________ Date____________
I llinois Valley Community College
Any questions regarding this consent can be directed to Dorene Perez, Illinois Valley Community College, 815 North Orlando Smith Ave., Oglesby, IL 61348. Phone: 815-224-0221.
Sample Photo/Statement Release for Adults
I llinois Valley
Community College
Photo/Video Statement Release
I hereby release rights to photographs, video and statements taken by Illinois Valley Community College to use in possible promotional or educational materials, including IVCC’s Web site.
Event/Activity/Location______________________________________
Print Name Signature Date ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
42
Publicizing the Contest Through the Media
Edible Car Contests provide tremendous publicity opportunities: entries are colorful and unusual looking; participants of any age (but especially younger ones) are excited, animated and photogenic; and most people like the idea of playing with food. Even for television stations, especially in smaller markets, the contests can provide good video footage, which is critical to them. For the 2009 edible car competition at Brown University Bob Blumer, host of the Food Network’s “Glutton for Punishment,” covered and participated in the event. Blumer’s show features food competitions all over the world.5 News organizations will likely welcome publicity releases announcing the contest and later announcing winners, especially if accompanied by interesting photos. Although some news organizations will prefer to cover the contest themselves by sending a photographer, a well-prepared press release and high quality digital photos can simplify the job of the reporter or photographer and can help insure better coverage and accuracy. Press Releases Announcing the Contest A press release announcing the contest should include the following:
o Date, time, place of contest o Participants o Purpose o General rules or regulations o Deadlines o Judging categories o Who will judge; names and titles of judges if available. o Sponsoring organization(s) o Names and titles of people in charge o A good direct quotation from one of the people in charge, about purpose
of the contest, why it is being organized, or what it is to accomplish. o Availability of more information, entry forms, etc. Online availability can be
very helpful. o Public invited to attend?
See the Sample Press Release Announcing the Contest at the end of this section. Submitting a high quality, digital photo (electronic format, jpg) of a previous winning vehicle or of one under construction can increase the attractiveness of the press release to the print and online media. Include a brief ID of the photo explaining what’s in it; for example, “This zippy zucchini won First Place in Design in last year’s Edible Car Contest at Illinois Valley Community College.”
43
Coverage of the Contest and Winners A few days before the contest, notify the area news organizations, and for print, online and television, stress the photo opportunity. However, it is still best to prepare a press release immediately after the contest, announcing the winners, describing the event, quoting participants, and to email it (along with a couple of high quality photos and photo IDs) to news organizations, even those that sent reporters or photographers. For a reporter or photographer who attended the event, a timely press release (that day) will simplify their job and help to insure accuracy and more complete coverage. A press release announcing winners should include:
o Winners in various categories. If there are a number of categories and a number of prizes, include only top winners in the press release and add a list of all winners at the end of the story.
o Date, time, place of contest o Who participated o Purpose o General rules or regulations o Judging categories o Names and titles of judges. o Sponsoring organization(s) o Names and titles of people in charge o Good direct quotations
o Participant reactions, comments (with their full names) o Organizer(s) reactions, comments (with full names) o Audience reactions, comments (with full names)
o Availability of photos, more information posted online? To add interest to the story, increasing the chances it will be published or broadcast, look for and include descriptions of interesting occurrences during the event. For example:
o Onlookers dodged chunks of cheese, slivers of salami and flying fruit as cars careened off the track.
o Vehicles were timed as they rolled, or slid, down a three-foot ramp. A number of cars lost wheels, stalled midway or failed to start rolling – even with a less than gentle push. A couple encountered problems in the pit – coming apart as their designers carried them to the track.
o Debris that dropped or smeared on the track as the cars rolled, or slid, required regular cleanup leading to some delays in the speed runs.
News organizations in smaller communities often prefer a focus on names, especially for big winners, and even family connection; for example, “…..is the daughter of xxxxxxx.”
44
See the sample press release announcing winners at the end of this section. Wording Suggestions To punch up press releases and photo IDs, phrases such as, “chunks of cheese,” “slivers of salami” and “flying fruit” are in the examples above. Additional ideas for alliterative food phrases:
o Speeding spuds o Racing rice cake o Swift salami o Sliding salad o Hasty honeydew o Hustling hot dog o Brisk broccoli o Zippy zucchini o Moving marshmallow o Whizzing watermelon
Yes, those phrases sound a bit silly, but Edible Car Contests are designed primarily to engage participants, transforming the serious goals of the contests into fun. Need for Photo Releases For a news story, photo/statement releases are not necessary. But to use people’s photographs (even without their names) or statements in promotional materials, photo/statement releases are needed. For people 18 years old or older, take a photo release form to the contest. For younger people, a parent or guardian needs to sign as well as the young person, so those releases need to be distributed well before the contest. (See Sample Photo/Video/Statement Releases in the Section on Promotional Opportunities)
This Crispy Beetles vehicle, which won the top Design prize and performed well in speed in a contest for eighth graders, is an excellent choice for publicizing future contests.
45
Sample Press Release Announcing the Contest Edible Car Contest PR release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Dorene Perez, Program Director/Professor of CAD/CAE 815-224-0221 [email protected] At Illinois Valley Community College the best cars taste good and have a short shelf life
– at least for the Sixth Annual Edible Car Contest being held at noon Feb. 16.
Student teams are constructing cars, actually vehicles that look something like cars or
trucks, entirely from food. Imagine a car body made from a cucumber or a hot dog and wheels
from pinwheel pasta or cookies.
Dorene Perez, the Program Director of Computer Aided Design, explained that the
contest highlights National Engineers Week.
“We want students to see that engineering is fun, that it allows them to be creative,” she
said.
The contest also targets women by requiring at least one member of each team to be
female.
“Engineering groups and the National Science Foundation are working to encourage
more young women to enter engineering and other science and math-related fields,” Perez said.
On Feb. 16, the student teams will compete for prizes in a number of categories including
design, creativity and speed. High school teams are being encouraged to enter; they will be
eligible for prizes in most of the categories and also in a special category just for them.
Some IVCC students will compete in special categories, such as nutritional value, which
are related to areas they are studying, and student organizations are being encouraged to enter
teams. IVCC faculty and staff members are competing in a special category.
46
For the speed prizes, cars must be able to roll down a ramp approximately three feet long.
The cars will be low tech, but the timing mechanisms will definitely be high tech.
Jim Gibson, the Program Director of Electronics, and electronics students will be using a
programmable logic controller (PLC) to time the speed on the track. The control will be
connected to a computer running Rockwell Automated software. The timing setup will utilize a
reflective photo eye at the start and an emitter and receiver photo eye at the finish.
The contest, open to the public, will be in the cafeteria at IVCC. Entry blanks can be
submitted through 11 a.m. on contest day; cars must be checked in also by 11 a.m. Most
of the prizes will be in keeping with the edible theme such as chocolate filled trophy cups
and Olympic-style medals made of chocolate.
Last year 59 students and 2 members of the staff competed on 19 teams with
vehicles carrying names like Gummy Go Cucumber and Vehicular Vikingummis . Two
teams from Hall High School also competed last year, the first year high school teams
were included.
The Best Overall car was a bread stick body with spaghetti axels named Car
Ramrod. The fastest vehicle, a not very sleek looking cucumber with rice cake wheels
named Plan B, managed to stay mostly intact until it crossed the finish line.
The contest is sponsored by the Division of Career and Technical Programs and
the Making Industry Meaningful In College (MIMIC) project and supported by a
National Science Foundation grant.
Perez explained that the contest is designed to provide students with an opportunity to
experience the practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in an
exciting team exercise.
47
“Designing a car from food requires students to use math and science in a creative
framework,” said Perez.
Assisting Perez and Gibson with the contest are engineering design and electronics
students; Sue Caley Opsal, anatomy and physiology instructor; and Rose Marie Lynch,
communications instructor. Opsal and Lynch are working with Perez and Gibson on an NSF
grant designed to increase the number of people who prepare for engineering and engineering
technology careers.
Contest entry blanks, contest rules and photos of past winners are available at
www.ivcc.edu/nsf, and more information is available from Perez at 224-0221.
48
Sample Press Release Announcing Winners Edible Car Contest Winners PR Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dorene Perez, 815-224-0221 [email protected]
A speed record was set by a cucumber with Oreo cookie wheels in the Sixth
Annual Edible Car Contest at Illinois Valley Community College Wednesday. Beating
its closest competition by only one-hundredth of a second, this zippy cuke completed the
three-foot run in only .40 seconds.
That entry, called Vicious and Delicious, was designed by Noah Roberts, Jessica
Stoens, and Isaiah Roberts. Rumor has it that the team sprayed the peppermint stick
axels with a cooking spray to gain some competitive edge.
But the top winner overall was Fury, a sleek vehicle which took First Place in three
categories: Creativity, Detail and Prospective Engineers. The body of that pink delight was
made of sugar glass, a moldable sugar concoction which gets its name from its resemblance to
glass.
While creating the sugar glass was a big challenge for Fury’s creators (Mike Petrone,
Kourtney Ewald, and Megan Cook), many of the 75 students who entered the contest said they
found the challenges of designing and constructing with food to be the highlight of building their
cars.
“It was fun trying different scientific and mathematic approaches,” one participant said.
Another described the best part as, “Putting my knowledge and creativity to the test.”
Those comments resonate with Dorene Perez, the Program Director of Computer Aided
Design/Computer Aided Engineering and one of the organizers of the contest.
49
“Designing a car from food requires students to use math and science in a creative
framework,” Perez said. “Our purpose in offering this competition is to demonstrate that math,
science and engineering can be creative and fun.”
However, a real plus for some participants, as one student said, was “eating the
leftovers.”
For those students, the prizes -- many of them made of chocolate in keeping with the
edible theme – were especially rewarding.
Five teams from two high schools, LaSalle-Peru and Hall, competed and went home with
eight prizes including a First Place in Design won by an L-P team, and a Third Place in Speed
won by a Hall team.
While teams took home prizes in ten different categories, the speed competition was the
highlight of the event, both to participants and to the spectators who crowded the IVCC cafeteria.
And that is despite the fact that a number of cars stalled midway, came apart on the track or failed
to start rolling or even sliding.
At least one entry stuck to the paper plate on which it was being displayed and a couple
of vehicles came apart before they reached the track. Debris (frosting, marshmallow cream,
peanut butter, pieces of fruit) which littered the track forced occasional delays while a crew
cleaned the track.
The cars may have been low tech, but the timing for the speed competition was decidedly
high tech. Under the guidance of Jim Gibson, the Program Director of Electronics, electronics
students designed, programmed and built a programmable logic controller (PLC) to time the
speed on the track. The control was connected to a computer running Rockwell Automated
software. The timing setup utilized a reflective photo eye at the start and finish.
Teams were required to include at least one female since encouraging more women to
consider careers in engineering technology is one goal of the contest.
50
“There’s a big push nationally to increase the exposure of young people, but especially
women, to science, technology, engineering and math or STEM,” Perez said, noting that women
make up less than 20 percent of the engineering workforce.
Organized in celebration of National Engineering Week, the contest was sponsored by
the IVCC Division of Career and Technical Programs, the Making Industry Meaningful in
College (MIMIC) project, and a National Science Foundation grant.
Students from the electronics and engineering technology programs assisted with the
activities, and the Student Government Association provided pizza.
Judges were Bob Hunter, IVCC Webmaster; Crystal Loughran, IVCC Security Services;
Travis McLaughlin, CAD student; and Ron Wagner, a representative of Electronic Supply.
Organizers of the contest were Perez, Gibson, communications instructor Rose Marie
Lynch, and biology instructor Sue Caley Opsal.
51
For More Information About Edible Car Contests
Visit the web site for the Illinois Valley Community College Edible Car Contests at
http://www.ivcc.edu/nsf
The Edible Car Contest drop-down has links to various contests IVCC has offered – for IVCC and high school students, for middle school students, and for kids. Additional Online Sources of Edible Car Contest Information Texas Woman’s University, College of Arts & Sciences http://www.twu.edu/arts-sciences/edible-car-contest.asp
As of 2011, TWU has been offering an edible car contest for 13 years.
University of Kentucky, College of Engineering http://www.engr.uky.edu/eday/2011/contests/ediblecar.html University of Nebraska-Lincoln News story at http://journalstar/news/local/education/article_a0225bc-a7a9-5698-b46a-54769189ef3e.html
Brown University News story at http://www.browndailyherald.com/edible-car-competition-heats-up-with-food-network-star-1.2046524. News story at http://today.brown.edu/articles/2008/04/food-car-race
University of Vermont http://wwwemba.uvm.edu/Eweek
California State University - Fresno http://www.fresnostatenews.com/dev/1998/10/first-incredible-edible-car-contest-is-friday-oct-30/
Texas Tech University, Department of Physics Photos at http://www.phys.ttu.edu/sps/ed_pics_s02/index.html
Tryon Elementary School, Columbus, NC http://www.polk.k12.nc.us/TEScars
Henley Middle School, Oregon News story at www.heraldandnews.com/news/article_67f57be-207b11e0-825b-001cc4c002e0.html International Falls (Minnesota) Library News story at http://www.ifallsjournal.com/news/your-library/edible-car-contest-planned-library.7089
52
References
1. The terms for the University of Vermont contest are friction, adhesion, inertia and axel. http://www.emba.uvm.edu/Eweek
2. Fresno State (University of California) edible car contest.
http://www.fresnostatenews.com/dev/1998/10/first-incredible-edible-car-contest-is-friday-oct-30/ and http://www.csufresno.edu/journal/vol2/1116/edible.html
3. Texas Woman’s University edible car contest. http://www.twu.edu/arts-sciences/edible-car-contest.asp
4. Texas Woman’s University edible car contest. http://www.twu.edu/arts-
sciences/edible-car-contest.aspc 5. Brown University edible car contest. http://www.browndailyherald.com/edible-
car-competition-heats-up-with-food-network-star-1.2046524