Scholarship Money for Students Who Think ‘Big’

Once again the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has come up with a creative approach to attracting high school students to their profession.

Following up on last year's Clearly Pretty Awesome (CPA) competition, AICPA's "Project Innovation" is asking students for a little help finding "one creative, original, awesome idea" that could be implemented as a new feature on the StartHereGoPlaces.com website.

The goal is to make the website an even more helpful destination for students interested in exploring the "endless possibilities" of a career in accounting. And to sweeten the deal, three scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 are being offered to the team of students coming up with the best idea.

To enter, you'll need to form a team of two to four classmates and a faculty advisor willing to support the effort. Each student on the team must meet basic eligibility requirements like being the right age (someplace between 15 and 19) and agreeing to the terms of a basic release form.

Your team will need to come up with a brilliant idea, describe it in a short essay (no more than 500 words), and provide a visual aid which can be uploaded from your computer. And it all needs to be submitted by no later than February 6, 2012.

This is a great project for student members of local DECA high school chapters who already participate in team competitions and activities. And not only will scholarships be awarded to students, but the sponsoring school also wins funds!

But be warned: coming up with a new idea for StartHereGoPlaces.com is not going to be easy. The website already contains many useful tools for students interested in accounting careers, like a free magazine, a college application timeline, and a really comprehensive list of other scholarships available to future CPA's.

There's no question about it. You're going to have to be inventive and imagine what else could be included on the site. Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, and feasibility.

For more information on Project Innovation, visit the "Start Here Go Places" website. But hurry. The contest ends February 6.