In honor of the 2014 International Year of Crystallography, the first Wisconsin Crystal Growing Competition was successfully organized and conducted. High school students from 26 schools across the state competed for prizes by growing large crystals of CuSO[subscript4]·5(H[subscript2]O). This paper describes how the event was planned and carried out as well as looking at the scientific impact it had on the participants. (Abstract graphic created by Kandis Elliot and Ilia Guzei and used with permission.)