The 3rd Annual PAVE Essay Contest is open to Texas high school students
AUSTIN, TX — Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) today launched the third annual PAVE Essay Contest and Scholarship Program. The program encourages young people to contemplate a future with automated vehicles by writing about what this technology could mean for their communities. This year, the contest is open to high school juniors and seniors in Texas, and the winners will receive scholarship funding for college expenses.
“At PAVE, we want everyone to have a voice in the future of transportation,” said Executive Director Tara Andringa. “This essay contest is an opportunity for young people to imagine what that future looks like, and it offers students a chance to earn funding for college. We’re hopeful that the contest may also expose students to careers in the autonomous vehicle field!”
Students can choose between three essay prompts related to automated vehicle technology and its societal effects. Given the recent growth of autonomous trucking in Texas, one of the prompts focuses on the potential impacts of autonomous freight trucking.
The essay contest, which will accept submissions through February 28, 2025, is open to juniors and seniors enrolled in high schools in Texas. A committee of experts from the AV ecosystem will score student essays and select the winners. Scholarship funding will be given to the top three submissions in the following amounts: $3,500 for first place, $2,500 for second place, and $1,500 for third place. Two honorable mentions will also be awarded $1,000 each.
Funding for the scholarships is provided by Aurora, STEER Tech, and VW ADMT. The contest is also supported by the Texas Department of Transportation. For more details about the contest, visit https://pavecampaign.org/events/essay-contest/.
