09/01/10 12:00 AM MDT - American Geological Institute (AGI) is sponsoring three exciting U.S. contests for Earth Science Week 2010. Photography, visual arts, and essay contests - all focused on the theme of "Exploring Energy" - allow both students and the general public to participate in the celebration, learn about Earth science, and compete for prizes. The photography contest, open to all ages, focuses on "We Depend on Energy." The visual arts contest, titled "Energy on Earth," is open to students in grades K-5. Students in grades 6-9 are eligible to enter the essay contest: "How Energy Powers the Planet."
Essays of up to 300 words should describe how Earth system processes develop energy resources, how human use of energy affects the Earth system, and how people can be responsible stewards of Earth's energy resources. Entries may be submitted any time up to the Friday of Earth Science Week, 15 Oct 2010. The first-place prize for each contest is $300 and a copy of AGI's "Faces of Earth" 2-DVD package. To learn more about these contests, including how to enter, visit www.earthsciweek.org/contests.