$50,000 AiG competition nears closing date

Last fall, we announced something that exploded in size, like so many things here at AiG are doing: our Research Paper Challenge for 2007.

In our first contest (2006, based on our book War of the Worldviews), the grand prize was a laptop computer, which was awarded to Paul Lamicela, a 15-year-old from Pennsylvania, who wrote an amazing paper titled “Antimatter and the Big Bang” For our 2007 contest, there were four Christian colleges “competing” to co-sponsor the contest. What started as a query to these carefully selected, strongly creationist-leaning schools, asking whether any of them would be willing to offer a $5,000 scholarship, soon doubled to an offer of $10,000, then more than doubled again to $25,000 and eventually doubled again as a guaranteed $50,000 scholarship from Liberty University. We are so very grateful to each of these schools—the Masters College, Cedarville University, Grace College, and Liberty University—for their desire to help inspire students in this way.

I have to admit I was a bit stunned when Dale Mason, our VP who had the idea for this annual challenge, told me that all four colleges and universities “jumped” at the chance to offer $5,000, but I was blown away when he told me that the final amount committed was $50,000. (Many of our staff wish they could allow their own children to be part of this contest!)

Students, listen up. If you wrote a research paper and had it graded but have not yet completed the sign-offs from your pastor and friend, do so immediately. Don’t miss this opportunity! In addition to the scholarship, there are five brand-new laptop computers—one for each of the top five winners, plus other prizes. Believe it or not, this coming Monday, April 16, is the last possible date that entries can be postmarked for this one-of-a-kind contest.

We don’t know of any other scholarship contest in the world that’s designed to inspire young people (ages 14–21) to write a research paper from a creationist viewpoint and then require as part of the rules that the young person, a) have the paper graded as part of a normal class requirement, b) have the paper read by a friend who is not a creationist, and c) have the paper read by their pastor or youth worker. We want to see these young people do more than just “know” that Genesis creation is true. We want them to get out of their comfort zone and share that truth with others—inside the church and outside its walls as well.

Get your entry in the mail by April 16, and be sure it has a postmark of no later than that date. Then, watch for news in my blog and on our main website over the next couple of months. We plan to share some of the personal essays written by the students themselves and then also announce the winner of the $50,000 grand prize scholarship at our family camp in July!

I have to admit, this is fun!

FINLAND AND FOX VISIT CREATION MUSEUM

The international media have been visiting the Creation Museum almost as much as the American press in the past two months. In recent weeks, correspondents from a leading German newspaper, the BBC in England, Spain’s leading national paper, and CBC (Canada) radio have toured the museum and conducted interviews.

Friday afternoon, Mr. Pekka Mykkänen of the Helsingin Sanomat, the largest newspaper in Finland, stopped by. In fact, this paper, founded in 1889, is now the largest daily newspaper in all of Scandinavia (with a circulation of over 420,000). Based in Washington D.C., Mr. Mykkänen talked with Dr. Jason Lisle, Mark Looy, and me; the museum will be prominently featured in this Sunday’s edition of his paper (they also have connections with an Australian newspaper).

In addition, the US press continues to inquire about the museum. On Friday, I took a reporter with Channel 19 (the Cincinnati Fox affiliate) through the museum, and Mark Looy, our CCO, spoke with a writer for Think magazine (who will be here next week) and a documentary producer in Michigan. He’s also been playing phone tag with a TV producer with the National Geographic Channel.

I’ve included a photograph taken from the deck where a large (donated) gazebo will be installed soon. You can see the Creation Museum with new decks off Noah’s Café in the background.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken