Westpoint+Bridge+Building+Online

We are writing to invite you and your students to participate in the **2014 ENGINEERING ENCOUNTERS Bridge Design Local Contest** formerly known as the **West Point Bridge Design Local Competition.** This is an Internet-based competition that provides middle school and high school students with a realistic, engaging introduction to engineering. Individuals or teams of two students are invited to participate in the local contest.  New this year, Middle School students in grades 6-8 are now eligible to compete in the 2014 Middle School Bridge Design Contest. The Middle School contest will run on the same schedule and will utilize the same Bridge Designer software as our national High School Contest. This is an entirely web-based bridge design competition offered through West Point. Individuals or teams of two students are invited to participate in the local contest.   **Start Date:** Teams can begin working in the local contest **immediately!**    <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">**Project Completion:** Local contest will end on <span class="aQJ" style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">March 30, 2014 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Prizes will be awarded to the top scoring student teams (4 prizes for High School and 4 prizes for Middle School). <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">$100 gift cards for 1st place bridge team (1 High School and 1 Middle School) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">$50 gift cards for 2nd place bridge team (1 High School and 1 Middle School) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">$25 gift cards for 3rd place bridge team (1 High School and 1 Middle School) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">$25 gift cards for 4th place bridge team (1 High School and 1 Middle School) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">**Deadline to Register with IU19 for the local contest is March 21, 2014 ! Teams must register to be eligible for prizes listed below.**
 * <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">**Local Registration: @http://tinyurl.com/lgk9ht4 **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> **//__<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTERING __//** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"> **//__<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">2014 NEIU ENGINEERING ENCOUNTERS BRIDGE DESIGN LOCAL CONTEST __//** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">(1) Instruct all of your students to register for the Bridge Design Contest at @http://bridgecontest.org/enter/register/ If any of your students are not “eligible contestants,” as defined by the EEBDCrules, that’s OK. They can still register in the “Open Competition.” (Anyone in the world can enter the Open Competition, though there are no prizes associated with this category.) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">(2) On the final page of the web registration system (the same page on which teams are asked to provide their e-mail address and password), your students will see a text box labeled, “If you are participating in a local contest organized by your school, a local engineering association, or other organization, enter your Local Contest Code here." Students should enter the Local Contest Code in this text box. **Our local contest code is NEIU** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">(3) The website will check that the code is a valid one and will post a confirmation on the Team Home Page. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">(4) If a contestant has already registered and did not enter the Local Contest Code at the time of registration, he or she can add it at any time by logging into the Team Home Page. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">(5) Once your project or contest is underway, you can view your own Local Contest Scoreboard on the following web page: @http://judge.bridgecontest.org/standings/local/NEIU. This scoreboard will be automatically updated at least every 24 hours after the Qualifying Round begins. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Thanks for supporting the Engineering Encounters Bridge Design Contest and for giving us a chance to introduce your students to engineering. Good luck! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">