The Curtiss Explorers Club is gearing up to host its annual Research and Essay Contest again. In partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System, the program offers kids the opportunity to make unique and fun historical discoveries while learning how to be research experts.
Curtiss Explorers include students in middle school, and/or any child between the ages 11-13 who lives in Miami-Dade County.
With guidance from teachers and librarians, students search for a forgotten person or animal in history that has made a positive impact on their community or our nation. The inspiration for this contest is Miami Springs’ very own unsung hero Glenn Hammond Curtiss.
The admission deadline of March 5, finalist presentations will take place April 25, and winners will be honored May 21 at the Historic Curtiss Mansion in Miami Springs, former home of the “Father of Naval Aviation” and Inventor Glenn Curtiss.
Contest prizes include:
• 1st Place: Laptop
• 2nd Place: iPad Mini
• 3rd Place: Bluetooth Speaker
Contest Guidelines
To enter, students are required to submit a 300- to 500-word essay with a thesis statement and at least three bibliographic citations at curtissmansion.com/explorers by March 5. Although the Miami-Dade Library System is not an official sponsor, students are encouraged to use their local Library for research. Finalists will be chosen and invited to present their work at the Curtiss Mansion in Miami Springs on April 25.
Each of the finalists has up to 10 minutes to present their work on April 25 and may use visual aids such as images or a display board in order to support their work. A projector and laptop will be provided.
The finalists will then attend the award ceremony May 21, which is also Glenn Curtiss’ Birthday. Winners will be announced at that time. Family members will be invited for the ceremony and light refreshments will be provided. Employees of the Curtiss Mansion, contest judges, and their immediate family members of any such persons are not eligible to participate.
About the Curtiss Mansion
Curtiss Mansion Inc. (CMI), a Florida-registered 501(c)3, was established in 1998 to preserve the home and legacy of legendary aviator and inventor Glenn Hammond Curtiss. It is a Smithsonian-recognized restoration and a National Historic Site. This Pueblo Revival home is the only surviving residence of Glenn Curtiss. The Curtiss Mansion is now used for a unique mix of fine and performing arts presentations, lectures, films, exhibits, youth activities, and private/corporate events.
The mission of CMI is to restore and operate the home and gardens of Glenn Hammond Curtiss, visionary aviator, inventor and developer, as an interactive technology-based educational center focusing on the inventions and contributions of Curtiss and other unsung American heroes; and as an architecturally unique, income-generating venue for celebrating life’s milestones.
The Curtis Mansion is located at 500 Deer Run, Miami Springs, FL 33166. For general information, visit www.curtissmansion.com. To submit an entry, see guidelines at www.curtissmansion.com/explorers.
