What is ‘Prompt!’?
Prompt! is a blog writing competition open for middle and high schoolers aged 10-18 hosted by Project Q2. Competitors are invited to write a 750-2500 word blog post about a topic that interests them that involves research; for competitors, Prompt! is simply an opportunity for you to share your passions about numerous topics in the following 5 blog categories in this upcoming cohort: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Art, and Humanities. At the end of the cohort, there will be three stages of submission review. During the preliminary stage, each blog submission will be screened to ensure that they abide by the submission regulations (See ‘Rules of Blog Submission’). Once the blog submissions past the preliminary stage, each submission will be reviewed, edited, and published by Project Q2 staff on the Project Q2 Blog Page in the first stage of review; during this period, Project Q2 staff will collectively decide on the top 4 blog submissions. In the ultimate stage of review, the secondary stage, the top 4 blog submissions will be reviewed by Project Q2 staff, who will unanimously rank the blog submissions 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place.
Why Should You Participate?
As a freshman interested in research, my inquisitive endeavors were often impeded by a lack of feedback and constructive criticism on my research skills. While the 3:00am hiss of the scroll wheel on Google Scholar and PubMed silently guided the synapses of my knowledge, bridging the gaps between seemingly heterogeneous subjects, without real-world application of this knowledge, this complex circuit of curiosity and information established by nights of post-midnight search queries would’ve gradually degraded, the synapses pruned, and my research skills would have remained rigid, inexperienced, and nonfunctional. With that said, by discovering blog sites and various other opportunities such as writing for Youth STEAM Advisors and Project Q2 , I’ve been able to apply my curiosity through research and hone my research abilities. Admittedly, competitions similar to Prompt! substantially contributed to my current, although imperfect and still developing, research experience.
So, if you’re interested in writing about a topic that interests you while contemporaneously being able to practice and apply your research skills, like the past writing competitions have assisted me, participating in Prompt! may have the potential to accelerate your research experience to the next level of your journey to become a professional in your respective field of interest.
In addition to peer review and feedback provided by Project Q2 staff, submitting a research-centered blog post on a topic of your interest in the Prompt! competition will:
- Improve your understanding of that topic;
- Grant you access to an award pool valued at $100+;
1st Place: Up to a $50 Gift Card and a Certificate of Placement;
2nd Place: Up to a $25 Gift Card and a Certificate of Placement;
3rd Place: Up to a $15 Gift Card and a Certificate of Placement;
4th Place: Up to a $10 Gift Card and a Certificate of Placement;
- Build your college resume;
Alongside monetary awards, your affiliation with Project Q2, an international NPO backed by mentors from top institutions, will be a valuable asset for your future endeavors.
Rules of Blog Submission
Individuals aged 10-18 that are in Elementary, Middle, or High School (Or non-U.S. equivalents), are eligible to participate in Prompt!. Unfortunately, to allow for fair competition amongst youth, individuals that are currently in/have completed an undergraduate or higher-level institution are not eligible to participate in Prompt!, however, are still welcome to submit a blog post for publication.
Project Q2 staff will rank blog submissions on the following terms:
- Are passion and creativity evidently conveyed in the blog?
- Does the blog present original ideas or connect ideas from various sources to propose novel insights?
- Are core research skills implemented into the blog (E.g. in text citations and a reference section)?
Additionally, the blog submission must adhere to the below regulations to be considered in a preliminary review by Project Q2 staff:
- The blog submission must be between 750-2500 words;
- The blog submission must not promote religious and/or unlawful practices.
- The blog submission must not target and/or demean individuals who practice certain religious, ethnic, or cultural beliefs.
- The blog submission must not contain NSFW content.
- The blog submission must not have been written by AI or edited by writing assistance technology (Grammarly is permitted).
How Do You Participate in ‘Prompt!?
Once you are prepared to submit your blog, follow these three simple steps to register for Prompt!. First, format your blog on Google Documents so that your title, first and last name, topic of your blog, and category of your blog are clearly indicated. For citations and/or references, please utilize the APA or MLA format. Secondly, send the link to the Google Document to blakedjbs@gmail.com and tanzimredwan18@gmail.com, and write the email title as “Project Q2 – PROMPT Blog Submission”; if you do not receive a response that we’ve received your blog within three days of the initial email, please send a follow-up email. Lastly, fill out the attached google form: Prompt! Participant Metrics
The last step is completely optional and the information we collect will solely be used to determine the participant metrics and reach of Prompt!.
We’re looking forward to reading everyone’s blog submissions!
Best,
Blake E. Davis, Chief Operating Officer
