Frequently Asked Questions

The 2011 competition is now closed.

Sign up to receive information about the 2012 competition.

1. How do I enter?

To enter, you’ll need to submit a 1-2 minute video on one of the current year's entry topics related to the science of everyday life.

2. Is the competition open to anyone?

The competition is open to students enrolled in 5th through 8th grade in the U.S.

3. I don't have a camera, where can I get one?

There are lots of ways to get a camera. Did you know that many cell phones have cameras in them? Digital cameras are also good ways to make a short movie. If you don't have access to either, you can check with your teacher, school media center, or local Public Library.

4. How am I judged?

Videos do NOT need to be "produced" or have high production value. Judges are not evaluating production skills. Videos may be recorded on cell phones or simple digital cameras, for example. In addition, local libraries and schools may be able to loan cameras to students.

5. Who are the judges?

The video competition is judged by a field of experts in science and communication including former teachers, scientists, and representatives from leading science organizations.

6. When and how will I find out if I've won?

You will be contacted via phone/ email in late May if you are selected as a Finalist. State Merit winners will be notified in mid June.

7. What is the summer mentorship program?

Finalists will receive a summer assignment to develop an invention or innovation, to be completed under the mentorship of a 3M scientist.

8. What happens at the finals?

Ten student finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the competition finals, where they will each give a presentation based on their work in the summer mentorship program, and participate in a series of scored challenges to demonstrate their scientific knowledge.

9. What are the student prizes?

At the end of the competition, America's Top Young Scientist will be awarded $25,000, and other finalists will receive exciting prizes.

Sample prizing for winners includes:

State Merit Winners (up to 51 - one from each State and the District of Columbia)

• 3M Innovation Package

Finalists (10)

• An all-expense-paid trip for the student and ONE parent/guardian to competition finals
• $1,000
• A Contest Medal or Trophy
• A chance to win a trip from Discovery Student Adventures

Grand Prize

• $25,000
• A trip from Discovery Student Adventures
• A Contest Trophy
• The title of "America's Top Young Scientist"

10. I forgot my username/password, how can I find it?

When you registered, your username and password were emailed to you and your parent.

11. Why do my parents have to grant permission for me to enter?

In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, Parental/guardian consent is needed for any person under the age of 13 years to give personal information to a third party over the internet. In the case of our competition, your parent/guardian needs to grant consent for us to receive your entry.

12. Are there rules and guidelines about how to make my video?

Yes, it is very important that you read and comply with the Official Rules and Regulations and Safety Guidelines.

You can read the official rules for the 2011 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge here: http://youngscientist.discoveryeducation.com/11challenge/student_rules.html

13. Are there examples of successful videos that I can watch?

You can get tips from past winners and view their videos here: http://youngscientist.discoveryeducation.com/about/entry_video_tips.html
Note: This year's Challenge has new entry and judging criteria for the video so please read the guidelines carefully.

14. Are there other resources that I can explore?

Check out our links page! http://youngscientistchallenge.com/checkitout/resources.html

15. How do I submit my video?

You must have a user account to submit a video. Once you have created an account and completed your student profile, you should see the "Upload your Video" link within the upper right corner of your profile. Once you click on the "Upload your Video" link, please follow the steps below:

1. Click on the Select File button.

2. A pop-up window will appear to allow you to select your file on your computer.

3. Search for and select your video file.

4. If you are using a PC, click on Open after selecting the video file.

5. You will see your video listed under the Selected File section.

6. Click on UPLOAD to submit your video.

Please note that your video must be in ASF, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPG, MPEG, WMV, or MP4 format in order in order to submit your video. Also, the video must be under 100 MBs and no more than 2 minutes long or your video will be disqualified from the challenge.

Submitted videos may take up to 20 minutes to appear within your account. You will receive an email to notify you that your submission was successful.

16. Can I update my submitted video?

If you have already submitted your video, you can log into your user account to resubmit your video prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Time on April 15, 2011. Once you upload a new video file, the new file will overwrite the old file associated with your user account.

17. My video is larger than 100mb. How can I reduce the size of my video for upload?

You can download many free encoder solutions, such as Riva FLV Encoder, SUPER, or MPlayer (Mac), through the Internet to convert your videos. Please download the encoders at your own risk. The listed third party solutions are not related to Discovery Education or 3M. You may also want to try adjusting the settings within your video editor to reduce the pixel resolution and frame rate of the file.

18. What if I have a question that is not addressed here?

Contact us at YSC@Discovery.com