Edward Hurley Elementary School Wins Chicago Regional Middle School Science Bowl and Spot in National Finals

Press Release

Building on President Obama's efforts to help more students excel in math and science and his call for investments in a skilled American workforce, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski announced today that Edward Hurley Elementary School from Chicago won the Chicago Regional Middle School Science Bowl on Saturday, which was sponsored by the University of Illinois at Chicago Minority STEM Alumni. Edward Hurley Elementary School competed against 16 other teams from across the region in one of the nation's regional competitions of the 23rd Annual U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl, and is now eligible to compete in the National Finals in Washington, D.C., at the end of April. The National Science Bowl brings together thousands of middle and high school students from across the country to compete on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, astronomy, and math.

"Congratulations to the students at Edward Hurley Elementary School for their achievements in science, technology, engineering and math," said Energy Secretary Chu. "Providing opportunities like the National Science Bowl to challenge today's students is an essential part of keeping America competitive in a rapidly advancing world."

"I want to wish the best of luck to the students of Edward Hurley Elementary School as they continue their impressive run to the finals of the National Science Bowl," said Congressman Dan Lipinski, who represents the Southwest Side school and co-chairs the House STEM Education Caucus. "Their skills have allowed them to compete with some of the country's best and brightest students. Their interest in math and science will only serve to reward them in the future as they move forward with their schooling and careers."

The Department of Energy (DOE) 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.

Over the next several months, more than 9,000 high school students and 5,000 middle school students will compete in 70 high school and 48 middle school regional Science Bowl tournaments. Students, in teams of four or five, compete in a fast-paced Jeopardy-style format where they solve technical problems and answer questions in all branches of science and math. Most teams are coached by teachers from the students' schools and spend several months preparing for the regional competitions. Many states have one regional or statewide Science Bowl competition, while larger states, such as California and Texas, hold several regional competitions across their states.

Students from Edward Hurley Elementary School will be awarded an all-expense paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., which are scheduled for April 25-29, 2013. The regional tournaments, which host 15-50 teams, are sponsored by federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of education, and non-profit organizations.

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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