Kelvin Manning addresses students teachers parents and VIPs during the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition awards ceremony.

At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, Kelvin Manning, the center's associate deputy director, addresses students, teachers, parents and VIPs during the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition awards ceremony. The challenge, now in its 27th year, reaches out to students from grades seven through 12 from all 50 states and Canada. More than 200,000 students entered the competition. The DuPont Challenge aims to inspire students to excel and achieve in scientific writing and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM. The challenge honors space shuttle Challenger's STS-51L crew members who gave their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. For more information on the challenge, go to http://thechallenge.dupont.com/sponsors/nasa.php.