Secretary Chu Announces Middle and High School Finalists Set to Compete in the 2012 National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C.

Press Release

Demonstrating the Obama Administration's commitment to improving the participation and performance of America's students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the list of 113 regional middle and high school finalists that will compete in the Energy Department's National Science Bowl Finals in Washington, D.C., at the end of April. Since January, nearly 14,000 students have competed in regional tournaments in which teams of four or five students were tested via a fast-paced Jeopardy-style format on a range of science-related topics including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, astronomy and math.

"Congratulations to the finalists of our 22nd annual science bowl, some of America's future leaders in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. We look forward to seeing them showcase their knowledge during the final competitions," said Energy Secretary Chu. "Through the National Science Bowl, we're fulfilling the President's mission to challenge the next generation to forge new advances in science and math and ensure that America stays competitive in a rapidly advancing world."

From Friday, April 27, through Monday, April 30, the 69 high school teams and 44 middle school teams will face off in the National Finals and will participate in a variety of activities, including the Lithium-Ion Battery-Powered Model Car Race for middle school students and hands-on science experiments for high school students. As champions of their regional science bowl competitions, each of the 113 teams are awarded all-expense paid trips to Washington, D.C.

The Energy Department created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. More than 200,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 22 year history, and it is the nation's largest science competition. Most teams are coached by teachers from the students' schools and spend several months preparing for the regional competitions. The regional tournaments, which host 15-50 teams, are sponsored by federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of education and non-profit organizations.

Last year, California's Mira Loma High School defeated Maryland's Montgomery Blair High School in the Finals and won an all-expense paid trip to the International Science School in Sydney, Australia. California's Gale Ranch Middle School won the middle school national championship match.

DOE's Office of Science manages the competition. More information about these events is available on the National Science Bowl website: http://www.science.energy.gov/nsb/.

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