The CCCOE is looking for additional members of the California Bar Association and current law students to serve as scorers and judges at the upcoming 31st Annual Contra Costa County Mock Trial Program.  New volunteers will be joining more than 150 practicing and retired Bay Area lawyers, district attorneys, public defenders, and judges, as well as Bay Area college law students, who will be returning as Mock Trial scorers and judges.

The Contra Costa County Community Awareness and Emergency Response (CAER) provides up to $2,000 grants to improve the preparedness of Contra Costa County schools and agencies in responding effectively to shelter-in-place emergencies.  The proposed drills and exercises must have a stated list of objectives and goals that must be addressed. 

For info: Contact Lori McDonald at (925) 313-9296 or visit CAER's website

The Captain Planet Foundation funds grants to promote understanding of environmental issues for school-age children.  Grant amounts range from $250-$2,500, with applications reviewed three times a year.

Next Deadline: January 31

For info: Visit their website

The LegiSchool Project's Center for California Studies is seeking entries for their annual essay contest.  This year, students are asked to share their views on Bullying in California's High Schools.  The contest is open to 11th- and 12th-grade students attending California high schools.  Ten winning essayists will be selected and will receive round-trip travel to the Sacramento State Capitol to participate in the Student Legislative Summit and Student Run Press Conference.  LegiSchool Project is a civic education collaboration between California State University, Sacramento and the State Legislator, and is administrated by the Center for California Studies. 

For info: Contact Gabrielle Jackson at (916) 278-7563 or visit their website

Deadline: January 20

To encourage youth to reflect on the beauty and spirit of our state's beaches and ocean, this special contest challenges California students to create artwork or poetry using a California coastal or marine theme. Prizes, awarded to five separate grade-level categories, include $100.00 gift certificates to an art-supply or book store.  Winners and honorable mentions will receive tickets to the Aquarium of the Pacific.  Each winner's teacher will receive a $50 gift certificate for education materials,

For info: Contact the California Coastal Commission at (800) COAST4U, or visit their website

Deadline: Jan 31

Contra Costa County businesses will once again join our county's educators to produce the annual Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair, this coming spring.  The program is for grades 7-12 students.

Dates and location: March 15-17; Los Medanos College, Science Building

For info: Contact Liz Ritchie at (925) 684-4995 or visit the Science & Engineering Fair's website

Deadlines: Students may submit their project applications anytime between now and January 20. (Please be reminded that you must obtain pre-approval for certain experiments, this deadline has passed.)

Fee: $25 

As part of their annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday, Dow Company is offering two special contests (essay writing and poster making) for students in grades 9-12, attending high schools in Pittsburg, Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, and Oakley.  Civility is the focused theme of the two contests.  The top competitors in each contest will receive cash prizes and will be asked to present their projects at Dow's celebration, on January 12.  

For info: Contact Patty Deutsche at (925) 432-5576 or visit the contests' website

Deadlines: The essays and posters shall be postmarked no later than December 13