College of Education to host
Maryland State Middle School Science Bowl Competition

COLLEGE PARK, MD (March 2007) –The genius of youth will be put to the test on Saturday, March 10 in the Benjamin Building, as the College of Education’s Educational Technology Outreach program and the Patriots Technology Training Center (PTTC) host the State Middle School Academic Regional Science Bowl Competition.

Ten teams of sixth- to eighth-grade middle school students from Maryland will compete in the event, which is open to the public. The teams consist of four students and may have one alternate team member. Any current public, private, or home school student (ages 10 to 14) may form a team and participate in the Regional Science Bowl.

The event begins 9 a.m. with a keynote address by Congressman Albert Wynn (D-MD), followed by a presentation from Dalila Wortman of Lockheed Martin. The competition then proceeds in two phases—an academic math and science competition where students are quizzed in a fast paced question-and-answer format similar to Jeopardy, and a model fuel cell car competition that challenges students to design, build, and race model cars. Teams will participate in round robin and tie breaker rounds in the morning. Elimination and final rounds take place after lunch, followed by the hydrogen fuel cell model car races at 3 p.m. The competition concludes with the awards ceremony.

The winning team on March 10 will represent Maryland for the national title. The national competition, held late June in Denver, Colo., consists of two days of academic competition and hands-on science and engineering where teams design, build, and race model cars. Awards at the national level are given for both the academic and "hands-on" competitions.

The U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the National Science Bowl® as a nationwide academic competition that tests students' knowledge in all areas of science. With studies showing the number of students interested in learning science and technology continuously decreases throughout middle school and into high school, this event is part of an effort to retain students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields through programs that educate and motivate.

"We are excited to be a part of the state effort to help promote the scientific and engineering workforce that the United States will need to remain at the forefront of scientific advances, technological innovation and economic competitiveness for the future," said Davina Pruitt-Mentle, director of the Educational Technology Outreach program. "The Middle School Science Bowl serves to encourage young people to enhance their science and mathematics skills—and, we hope, to become our future leaders in these critical areas."

The Educational Technology Outreach program is pleased to be hosting this event with the PTTC of Prince George's County. Joining resources with the community, the PTTC uses its training services to share with students the importance of taking part in cutting edge learning and technology.

To learn more about the State Middle School Science Bowl Competition, contact Davina Pruitt-Mentle at dpruitt@umd.edu. Information is also available on these websites: www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/index.html www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/Initiatives/ScienceBowl/sciencebowl.htm