Speech Trek
The Eleanor Stem-Allen Memorial Speech Trek Contest is endowed by Gray Allen in honor of his late wife, Eleanor Allen. Eleanor was an outstanding scholar and dedicated educator, who nurtured a life-long passion for learning and teaching. For 35 years she taught high school English, history, and economics, instilling in her students the will to perform to the best of their abilities. Eleanor launched the Speech Trek competition for the Roseville-South Placer branch in 2007 to give capable students an opportunity to develop important skills and earn money to further their education.
Speech Trek is an AAUW-local and CA annual speaking contest (held in February) open to all high-school students from South Placer. Students compete for a cash award of $3,000 and the honor of proceeding to the statewide competition level for additional prizes. Speech Trek is designed to showcase critical thinking and public speaking skills.
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​​2024 - 2025 Speech Trek Chair: Michelle Colletto
Local branch prizes are:
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1st Place $1000
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2nd Place $800
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3rd Place $700
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4th Place $300
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5th Place $200
State prizes are:
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1st Place $2,500
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2nd Place $2,000
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3rd Place $1,000
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Honorable Mention two awards at $500 each
Speech Trek Topic for 2024 - 2025
(16th Annual contest)
Finals: February 7, 2025 - 4pm at Kilaga Springs Lodge, Lincoln, CA
​California State Finals (virtual) April 26, 2025
Climate change is happening. The effects are widespread and touch upon almost all aspects of our life on this planet. Select one area of impact and explore the effect climate change is having on women in the USA and around the world
​Background:
The adverse effects of climate change are well studied in relation to agriculture, ecosystems, water resources, human health, and industry, especially in geographical locations that are economically dependent on local natural RESOURCES.
Many studies also highlight climate change in terms of its impact on economics. But do the reports identify any disproportionate effects on women? Is women's health more vulnerable to environmental changes?
Many companies claim their bottom line is impacted by the cost of climate change legislation. Does this have an impact on women's careers and leadership opportunities?
If there are disparities in any of these areas, how does that change the way you look at climate change?
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2023 - 2024 Speech Trek Contest
2024 Speech Trek Chair: Denise Hexom
Topic
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If an educated population is essential to a nation’s prosperity, then how can we ensure a robust public-school curriculum that is accessible to all and teaches historically accurate information?
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1st place: Kanin McGee - $1200 Lincoln High School
2nd place: Sean Colaljo- $800 Whitney High School
3rd place: Annelise Cederholm - $600 Lincoln High School
4th place: Noah Brandt - $300 Woodcreek High School
5th place: Emilie Moriswala - $100 Whitney High School
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