Media Advisory: Jefferson Lab Hosts Virginia Regional Middle School Science Bowl
Members of the media and public are invited to observe the 2019 Virginia Regional Middle School Science Bowl Competition at Jefferson Lab on Saturday, March 2.
What: The Virginia Regional Middle School Science Bowl competition will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.
Who: Teams from 20 Virginia middle schools (listed below) are registered to compete in the 2019 competition, including seven teams representing Hampton Roads and the Middle Peninsula (Grafton Middle School, Hampton Roads Academy, Isle of Wight Academy, Page Middle School, Peasley Middle School, St. John the Apostle Catholic School and St. Patrick Catholic School). Teams are comprised of four middle school students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach.
When: Saturday, March 2, 2019.
Where: CEBAF Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, Va.
Time:
- Round Robin Tournament, 9 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
- Double Elimination Tournament, 12:45-4:15 p.m.
Credentials: News media may contact the Jefferson Lab Communications Office representative listed below by noon on Friday, March 1, if you plan on attending any part of the tournament or if your news agency would like to receive the results at the end of Saturday's competition.
Considerations: No filmography or photography is allowed during the competition. Members of the public are welcome to observe the double elimination tournament rounds. All visitors over 16 must sign in at the CEBAF Center front desk and present valid photo I.D. Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Participating Schools: Virginia schools registered for the competition include (in alphabetical order):
- Benton Middle School, Manassas
- Carson Middle School, Herndon
- Edlin School, Reston
- Farmwell Station Middle School, Ashburn
- Floris Elementary School, Herndon
- Frost Middle School, Fairfax
- Grafton Middle School, Yorktown
- Gunston Middle School, Arlington
- Hampton Roads Academy, Newport News
- Isle of Wight Academy, Isle of Wight
- Longfellow Middle School, Falls Church
- Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church
- Nysmith School for the Gifted, Herndon
- Page Middle School, Gloucester
- Peasley Middle School, Gloucester
- Pinnacle Academy, Oakton
- Poplar Tree Elementary School, Chantilly
- St. John the Apostle Catholic School, Virginia Beach
- St. Patrick Catholic School, Norfolk
- Trailside Middle School, Ashburn
Background:
The National Science Bowl® has been sponsored annually by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science since 1991. Since its inception, more than 290,000 middle and high school students have participated in tournaments around the country. The competition is meant to encourage students to excel in math and science and to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Participating teams face off in an intense question-and-answer format, where contestants are quizzed on their knowledge of math and a range of science disciplines, including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics and energy.
The top three teams at the regional competition on March 2 will earn cash prizes, and the top four teams will earn trophies for their respective schools. The top team also wins an expenses-paid trip to the National Science Bowl® finals to be held in Washington, D.C., April 25–29. In 2019, 65 high school and 50 middle school teams will receive trips to compete for the national title. In addition to the academic competition, students attend presentations by well-known scientists on current topics in math and the sciences.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl® and sponsors the NSB finals competition. The Department of Energy'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.
To learn more about DOE's National Science Bowl competition, visit: https://science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb/
For sample sets of questions and answers that have been used in previous competitions, visit: https://science.energy.gov/wdts/nsb/regional-competitions/resources/
Contact: Deborah Dowd, Jefferson Lab Communications Office, 757-269-7180, dowd@jlab.org