High school seniors who include promotions for U.S.-grown rice in their back-to-school plans could earn up to $4,000 in the USA Rice Federation National Rice Month scholarship contest, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences. To qualify, students must conduct rice-themed promotions in their local communities during September.

The contest will take place in the six major rice-growing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.

Three scholarship prizes totaling $8,500 are available. The grand prize is a $4,000 scholarship and a trip for the winner and a chaperone to attend the 2011 USA Rice Outlook Conference, to be held Dec. 7-9, in Austin, Texas, for the award presentation. The second-place winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship and the third-place winner a $1,500 award.

Entries must be submitted by Oct. 14 and will be judged on creativity as well as effectiveness in promoting U.S.-grown rice, National Rice Month, and the importance of rice in the entrant’s state.

For more information and a USA Rice Federation National Rice Month Scholarship Program entry form, visit http://www.usarice.com.