A team of students from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics will compete with nine other teams from around the state this Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham to determine which team will attend the high school national finals of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s National Science Bowl (NSB).
This year marks the 26th NSB, which the DOE Office of Science launched to interest today’s youth in pursuing careers in science and math.
In the regional competitions, thousands of middle- and high-school students all across the U.S. will pit their math and science knowledge — and their reflexes — against one another in a fast-paced question-and-answer format.
Those winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Science Bowl from April 28-May 2. Teams can win prizes as well as trophies, medals, and supplies for their schools.
The Science Bowl draws more than 14,000 student competitors. More than 250,000 students have faced off in the finals since the first competition in 1991.
While those career paths might seem intuitive, the math and science knowledge students need to be successful in the NSB also can lead to successful careers in other fields. The 2016 NSB competitors will follow in the footsteps of previous National Science Bowl contestants, and will blaze a trail for students in science, math and engineering for the next quarter-century.
The National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and mathematics. Middle and high school student teams from diverse backgrounds are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. These teams are tested on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy and math. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl, and sponsors the NSB finals competition.
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://science.energy.gov/.
