Scholarship

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Austin T. Brown Technical Communication Scholarship Competition
Eligibility
Scholarship Awards
Current Status
Basis for Judging
The Society for Technical Communication
Donations
Related Links

Austin T. Brown Technical Communication Scholarship Competition

For students in Grades 9 through 12

photo of Austin T. Brown When possible, the Washington, DC Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) invites high school students in the Washington metropolitan area to submit entries to its annual Austin T. Brown Technical Communication Scholarship Competition.

The Chapter sponsors this competition to encourage the development of technical writing skills among students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.

The scholarship fund was started in 1962 and has been funded by the Chapter since 1964. The competition, formerly called the High School Science Writing Contest, was renamed to honor Austin T. Brown. Mr. Brown joined STC in 1967 and was an active leader, mentor, and supporter of the Washington, DC Chapter for many years until he followed the sun to Hawaii in the early 1990s. One of his special interests was this competition. He is a past president of the Chapter and of STC (1988-1989). In 1993, he was elected a Fellow, the highest rank the Society can confer on a member.

Eligibility

All students in grades 9 through 12 in the public, private, and parochial schools of the Washington, DC metropolitan area (including the city of Alexandria, and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, Prince William, Montgomery, and Prince Georges Counties) are eligible to enter. Each student may submit only one entry. Each entry may be co-authored by up to four students.

Scholarship Awards

The Chapter awards scholarships of $1,000, $500, and $300 for the top three entries. Winners and their teachers will be notified by mail, listed in our newsletter, and listed on the Web site. See the Winners for previous winners of the competition.

Current Status

There is no Education Committee Manager this year, so the chapter is unable to offer a scholarship award this year.

Enquiries about the scholarship, or interest in managing the Education Scholarship Committee, should be sent to the chapter president at .

Basis for judging

A panel of professional scientists, educators, editors, and writers will judge the entries.

Judges will consider the overall quality of the student's writing, including presence of a clear and worthwhile thesis; coherent organization, including effective use of headings and subheadings; correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling; appropriate use of graphic aids; and proper use and documentation of reference materials and sources.

The Society for Technical Communication

Members of STC communicate in many ways. They are writers, editors, teachers, publishers, graphic artists, designers, researchers, producers and presenters of audiovisual materials, and marketing specialists. Their level of knowledge and experience ranges from that of college students to renowned experts. Equal numbers of men and women are STC members.

The Washington, DC Chapter (WDC), the Capital Chapter, is one of the largest in the Society with almost 600 members. Our members are employed by private firms, government agencies, and academic institutions, or work as consultants. They share their expertise with the community and with newcomers to the technical communication field in many ways.

The Society for Technical Communication (STC) is a Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational, scientific, and charitable organization dedicated to furthering the art of communicating technical information and promoting the education, improvement, and advancement of its members. STC is the world's largest professional organization serving the technical communication profession. STC is over 54 years old, with 160 chapters, 20 SIGs, and 18,000 members worldwide.

How to Donate to the Scholarship Fund

You may use our PayPal account or pay by check.

Using Our PayPal Account

You may use our PayPal Verified account to make a secure online donation to the scholarship fund using your credit card, debit card, bank account, or by paying money from a funded PayPal account. To use our PayPal account, click the PayPal button below. See the PayPal FAQ for information about using PayPal.

Paying by Check

To donate by check, please write on the check that the payment is an "Austin T. Brown Memorial Scholarship donation" and mail your check, payable to STC Washington DC Chapter and mail it to

Steve Whitney
Treasurer
STC Washington DC Chapter
PO Box 11186
Takoma Park, MD 20913

Federal Tax ID for the STC Washington, DC Chapter: 54-6065028.

Federal Tax ID for the Society: 31-4424296.

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