Scholars of DistinctionAcademic Excellence : Minnesota Department of Education

Scholars of Distinction

Scholars of Distinction

The Minnesota Department of Education's Scholars of Distinction program nurtures and recognizes distinguished achievement by highly motivated students. Students must complete required work in Minnesota’s Academic Standards, demonstrate mastery of complex subject matter and apply their knowledge and skills on challenging projects. Students may pursue one or more area of focus throughout all or part of their K-12 education. Scholars of Distinction Awards May be Earned In:

  • Applied Geography
  • Leadership
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Theater Arts

Step-by-step criteria used to judge projects is provided in the rubrics and a brief description of each award area, including the submission process for completed projects is explained in the overview documents available on this page.

The first step for students: * Complete an Intent to Apply form. by March 15, 2009.

Contact: Wendy Behrens – 651-582-8786

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.

Consultant List  63Kb (2/20/08)  46Kb (2/20/08)
     Project consultants are available to answer student's questions about their planned or ongoing Scholars project.
Important Dates for Scholars of Distinction Candidates  77Kb (2/20/08)  119Kb (2/20/08)
     List of registration and submission deadlines for the Scholars of Distinction program.
Program Overview: Applied Geography  69Kb (2/20/08)  47Kb (2/20/08)
     Instructions for applying for the Applied Geography Scholars program.
Program Overview: Leadership  106Kb (2/20/08)  73Kb (2/20/08)
     Instructions for applying for the Leadership Scholars program.
Program Overview: Mathematics  69Kb (2/20/08)  55Kb (2/20/08)
     Instructions for applying to the Mathematics Scholars program.
Program Overview: Science  100Kb (2/20/08)  72Kb (2/20/08)
     Instructions for applying to the Science Scholars program.
Program Overview: Theater Arts  61Kb (2/25/08)  54Kb (2/25/08)
     Instructions for applying for the Theater Arts Scholars program.
Scoring Rubric: Leadership  102Kb (2/20/08)  56Kb (2/20/08)
     The criteria used by reviewers to score projects submitted to the Leadership Scholars of Distinction program.
Scoring Rubric: Science  91Kb (2/20/08)  48Kb (2/20/08)
     The criteria used by reviewers to score projects submitted to the Science Scholars of Distinction program.