AIKEN, S.C. - The Savannah River Site (SRS) recently organized and sponsored a regional Science Bowl competition making it one of only four DOE sites to have participated each year at the regional level since the start of the DOE Science Bowl competition in 1991. This year’s winning team from Lakeside High School, Evans, Ga., will be rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. for the national competition in April.
The 2018 Savannah River Regional contest was held in partnership with the University of South Carolina Aiken and involved 120 students making up 24 teams from 15 high schools from across South Carolina and nearby Augusta, Ga. The event was kicked off by Pam Marks, Federal Project Director of the Salt Waste Processing Facility Project Office.
Marks expressed the importance of pursuing careers requiring STEM-based skills and applauded the teams for the time and commitment they invested in preparing for the competition. The DOE Science Bowl is the only academic competition of its kind sponsored by a federal agency that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science.
The Science Bowl format is similar to the television show “Jeopardy," where teams face-off during a timed period of fast-paced question-and-answers. Questions cover a wide range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, energy and math.
Volunteers from across the Savannah River Site worked as scorekeepers, timers and judges during the tournament. Many of the volunteers have participated for over twenty years with a notable influx of new SRS employees joining as volunteers in recent years.
In addition to the regular competition, a “brain teaser" activity is coordinated by the Savannah River Section of the American Chemical Society, providing an opportunity for the teams that are eliminated after the round robin portion of the competition to remain engaged in science and showcase their chemistry knowledge.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
