DOE's National Science Bowl(R) Kicks Off Thursday

America's Future Scientists and Engineers Show What They Know

WASHINGTON, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Teams representing high schools from 42 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico will compete in the 18th annual U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl(R) May 1 - 6, 2008 in Washington DC. Each participating team emerged from one of the event's 67 regional high school Science Bowls to earn an all-expense-paid trip to compete in the National Finals.

The DOE National Science Bowl(R) is the only science competition in the United States sponsored by a federal agency and supports the Bush Administration's commitment to investing in our next generation of scientists, engineers and educators so America can remain at the forefront of innovation and successfully compete in the 21st century global marketplace.

This year, more than 12,000 students competed in regional high school Science Bowl events, designed to encourage students to excel in science and math, and to pursue careers in those fields. Over 130,000 students have participated in the competition throughout its 18 year history.

NOTE: Teams are available for interviews throughout the competition. Please contact the DOE National Science Bowl Press Room at (301) 961-2854 beginning Friday, May 2 to make arrangements.

SCHEDULE FOR MEDIA
Plenary Speaker
WHO: Dr. Paul Burrows, Nanoscience and nanotechnology expert
"How Many Scientists Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?"

WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 2008
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM EDT

WHERE: National 4-H Youth Conference Center
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, MD

Division Team Challenge Competitions
WHO: All teams
Teams will apply scientific analysis skills to solve hands-on
experiments.

WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 2008
2:45 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

WHERE: National 4-H Youth Conference Center
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, MD

Competition Begins with Round Robin Matches
WHO: 67 Regional Champion Teams

WHEN: Sunday, May 4, 2008
11:15 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

WHERE: National 4-H Youth Conference Center
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, MD

Double-Elimination Matches
WHO: 16 Regional Champion Teams

WHEN: Sunday, May 4, 2008
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM EDT

WHERE: National 4-H Youth Conference Center
7100 Connecticut Ave.
Chevy Chase, MD

Championship Rounds & Awards Ceremony with Secretary Bodman
WHO: 6 Regional Champion Teams

WHEN: Monday, May 5, 2008
Semifinals: 10:30 AM - 11:10 AM EDT
Championship Match: 11:10 AM - 11:50 PM (Camera pre-set 10:30 am)

*U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman will present the awards immediately following the championship match.

WHERE: National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

Satellite Feed of Final Round Footage and Awards Ceremony
WHO: Energy Secretary Bodman and Matches with Final Three Teams

WHEN: Monday, May 5, 2008
4:00 PM EDT

WHERE: AMC3 (C-Band)
Transponder 5
Downlink Frequency: 3800 H
Polarity: Horizontal
Audio Channels: 6.2/6.8 MHz

For more information about the DOE National Science Bowl(R), visit: http://nationalsciencebowl.energy.gov/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Department of Energy

CONTACT: Matt Simmons, +1-202-349-9681, or Jeff Sherwood,
+1-202-586-4826, both of Department of Energy

Web site: http://nationalsciencebowl.energy.gov/

2008-04-29 17:29:50 0348406 PRNEWSWIRE