Junior MANRRS OPPORTUNITIES
WE'RE HERE TO HELP ADVISORS AND STUDENTS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IN THEIR JUNIOR MANRRS EXPERIENCE
DISCOVER HELPFUL RESOURCES IN INDUSTRY TRENDS, SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, SUMMER PROGRAMS, EVENTS, AND MORE.
Junior MANRRS is a pre-collegiate program that will enhance academic skills, professional skills and leadership skills. The program is designed to stimulate interest in STEM and Agriculture among middle school and high school students. We will inspire students to pursue and create new opportunities in STEM disciplines.
National Contests
Junior MANRRS students have the opportunity to participate in the following National Contest:
Written Essay Contest
This contest provides an opportunity for Junior MANRRS students to gain experience in expressing themselves, through writing. Essays will be judged by a panel of 3-5 judges and the winners will be selected prior to the National Contest. Contest Rules and Structure Eligibility:
-
Open to any active Junior MANRRS student member
Essay Prompt: Formulate a novel solution to address the issue of food insecurity or climate change.
Instructions for essay preparation:
-
Essays should be typewritten with one-inch margins and saved in a pdf file.
-
To assure anonymity in reviewing, repeat only the title at the top of the first page.
-
Number the pages of the essay
-
Limit body of essay to six (6) typewritten, double-spaced pages. Cover page and references are not included in the page count.
-
Appropriate citations must be used.
-
A minimum of three references (not including the manual, if used) should be documented
-
Essay format must conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) writing style
-
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
-
Purdue University’s writing center website has a freely available tips for APA writing (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/)
Impromptu Speaking Contest
The Impromptu Speaking Contest is designed to develop the ability of Junior MANRRS members to express themselves on a given subject without having prepared or rehearsed its content in advance. The contest provides an opportunity to grow public speaking skills and critical thinking as contestants formulate their speeches in a limited amount of time. The competition requires contestants to think quickly, present concisely and persuasively, and provide sufficient responses to questions posed by judges based on their speech. Contest Rules and Structure
-
The Impromptu Public Speaking Contest is open to all Junior MANRRS students (limit to 3 per chapter)
-
The competition is based on a random selection of fifteen (15) topics that are related to current issues in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences. The topics are decided by the Contest Superintendent and will only be shared with Contest Judges and Contest Organizers/Host. Contestants are randomly assigned a speech topic and presentation order by the Contest Superintendent. The random topic and presentation assignment should be completed using randomization functions/tools on any computer software tool on any website. Contestants are given ten (10) minutes to prepare a speech based on their assigned topic.
-
Contestants are given ten (10) minutes to prepare a two-to-four minute speech using any electronically available resources. Contestants are only permitted to craft their speech during their identified “preparation period.” They are not given their speech topic until the start of the “preparation period.” All contestants are required to prepare their speeches in an isolated space. They are not permitted to ask for assistance in any form. Contestants are responsible for ensuring their access to an electronic device capable of allowing them to prepare for the competition. Cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices are permissible. Contestants are permitted to leave the preparation room to address physiological needs, but preparation time will not be extended. Contestants are permitted to write notes and/or draft their speech on provided note cards provided by the contest organizers. During the preparation time, each contestant will be given a 10-minute warning. In the event a contestant does not have access to an electronic device capable of searching the web due to socioeconomic issues, the contest superintendent should be contacted in advance to help identify a solution.
-
Each contestant will participate in a ten (10) minute “competition period.” During the “competition period,” contestants will deliver their two-to-four minute speech. At the one (1), two (2), and three (3) minute mark, the contestant will be given a warning card by the timekeeper. Any speech that exceeds four (4) minutes and forty-five (45) seconds will be immediately concluded by the timekeeper. One (1) point will be docked from contestants for every second over or under the speech time limit. At the conclusion of the speech, the judges will be given three (3) minutes to ask questions of the contestant related to the speech topic. The question period will end at the conclusion of three (3) minutes regardless of whether the contestant or judge has finished their response. The remaining time in the “competition period” is reserved for judges to complete the scoring of contestants. Judges should not discuss scoring with one another at this time.
-
Contestants who do not appear at the start of the designated “preparation period” are permitted to participate in the contest, but will not be given an additional “preparation period.” For example, if a contestant begins preparing at 1:10 PM, but does not appear until 1:20 PM, they will only have ten (10) minutes to complete the preparation for their contest. Contestants that miss fifteen (15) minutes or more of their “preparation period” are fully disqualified. No contestant should have their “preparation period” or “competition period” adjusted due to a missing competitor.
-
A National Officer, designated profession member, or the Contest Superintendent are responsible for the monitoring of the preparation room and contest room.
-
Contestants are required to dress in business casual clothing for the contest
Public Speaking Contest
This contest provides an opportunity for Junior MANRRS students to gain experience in expressing themselves orally before an audience.
Contest Rules and Structure Eligibility:
-
Open to any active Junior MANRRS students
Initial round: All speeches must pertain to the conference theme: Aspire to Inspire.
-
All submissions MUST include a pdf. version of the speech, references, and an electronic link to your video presentation.
-
Video submission of speech shall be between 6-8 minutes in length. Speeches will be penalized for being under 6 minutes and without much substance.
-
Please state your name and university before your speech.
-
Please film in a well-lit room. Make sure the audio and sound are clear and keep the camera view wide enough, so your entire body and any equipment involved is completely visible.
Final round: A contestant needs to score a minimum of 80 points on the initial entry to be considered for the final round. Selection of the top 6 submissions will compete in the final round, in-person, at the National Training Conference and Career Fair. Contestants will be notified by the contest superintendent prior to the conference if they have qualified to compete at the final round. The final round of judging shall be conducted at the National Training Conference and Career Fair, by professional members. The top 6 contestants will each get 8 minutes to present their speech and 2 minutes to answer questions.
Photography Contest
The purpose of the MANRRS Photography Contest is to provide MANRRS members the opportunity to express their love for agriculture and related sciences in an artistic form.
Contest Rules and Structure
Eligibility:
-
Any active MANRRS member
Submission requirements:
-
A 300-word, 12-point font essay should elaborate on the art piece’s inspiration
-
All photographs must be the work of the individual MANRRS member as plagiarism is prohibited and violations of any copyright laws will result in disqualification from the contest.
-
Photographs must be in one of the following formats: .jpeg .jpg .pdf or .gif
-
Photographs may be in color OR black and white.
Theme Contest
The MANRRS Executive Committee is soliciting your recommendations for the theme of the next Annual Training Conference and Career Expo. All MANRRS members are encouraged to enter this contest.
Contest Rules and Structure
Eligibility:
-
Any active MANRRS member
The guidelines and rules for submitting a theme are as follows:
-
All suggested themes should be related to the goals and objectives of MANRRS as the organization begins its next 37 years.
-
Must include a 500-word essay (maximum) elaborating on what the theme means to the contestant and how it fits the MANRRS mission, history and future
-
Only one submission per member is allowed.
Judging guidelines:
Submissions will be voted on by the National Executive Committee. The theme with the most votes will be announced at the Annual National Conference and become the theme for the following year's National Theme.
Chapter Marketing & Recruitment Toolkit
We know MANRRS would not be the organization it is today without your dedication and support. Recruitment isn't an easy task, so we're providing you with tools that'll make it a bit easier. This toolkit includes templatized social media posts, stories, cover photos, and more for both chapter and individual use.
INTERESTED IN JOINING MANRRS?
Join now or become a partner and discover how you can make the most of your career!
