Jefferson Lab hosts 19 schools for Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl on Feb. 10

Some of the brightest young minds in the Commonwealth will meet at the Department of Energy's Jefferson Lab on Saturday, Feb. 10, to compete in the Virginia Regional High School Science Bowl. Nineteen teams, representing high schools from across the region are participating in this year's academic competition.

The National Science Bowl tournament -- sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy since 1991 -- is an annual, academic competition among teams of students. "These events champion an interest in science, math and engineering among our nation's youth," notes Jan Tyler, Jefferson Lab's Science Education program manager. The teams face off in an intense question-and-answer format where contestants are grilled on their knowledge in math and a variety of scientific fields. The teams are quizzed on all science disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, earth science and astronomy.

The first place team from each regional tournament wins a trip to the Science Bowl Nationals held in Washington D.C April 26-30 and a cash prize. Runner-up teams win cash prizes to purchase science equipment for their respective schools.

"The National Science Bowl is an important part of DOE's effort to encourage America's best and brightest young students to begin thinking about careers in science and engineering," said DOE Secretary Samuel W. Bodman. "These young people represent the next generation of scientists. Soon, we will be looking to them to solve the great questions facing our nation and our world and to keep America at the forefront of innovation and competitiveness."

The public is invited to attend the semi-final and final rounds of the Feb. 10 competition at Jefferson Lab, which will run from 1:30-5 p.m. in Jefferson Lab's CEBAF Center auditorium located at 12000 Jefferson Ave., Newport News, Va. For security purposes visitors must enter at Jefferson Lab's main entrance (Onnes Dr.). Everyone 16 and older is asked to carry a photo I.D., and security guards may perform parcel and vehicle inspections.

Jefferson Lab will also host the Virginia Regional Middle School Science Bowl on Saturday, March 10.

Virginia high schools registered for the 2007 event include (in alphabetical order):
Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School, Virginia Beach
Brooke Point High School, Stafford
Douglas Freeman High School, Richmond
Floyd E. Kellam High School, Virginia Beach
Gloucester High School, Gloucester
Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg
Hickory High School, Chesapeake
Langley High School, McLean
Mount Vernon High School, Alexandria
New Horizons Governor's School for Science and Technology, Hampton
New Kent High School, New Kent
Phoebus High School, Hampton
Piedmont Governor's School for Mathematics, Science and Technology, Martinsville
Princess Anne High School, Virginia Beach
St Christopher's School, Richmond
St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, Alexandria
T. C. Williams High School, Alexandria
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria
Woodbridge Senior High School, Woodbridge

To learn more about DOE's National Science Bowl competition, visit http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/index.html . For more information about the National High School Science Bowl, visit http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/
Check out the types of questions students will answer at www.scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/samplqs.htm
View DOE's 2007 Science Bowl press release at http://www.energy.gov/news/4614.htm

###

Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. JSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. (SURA).

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, visit https://energy.gov/science