IU Northwest to Host 2015 Science Olympiad Regional Tournament on February 21

rot1Twenty-nine teams of middle and high school students from 23 schools in Lake, Porter, LaPorte counties and surrounding areas will demonstrate their science and engineering talents at the 2015 Science Olympiad Regional Tournament on Saturday, February 21 at Indiana University Northwest.

The event, hosted for the 14th straight year by IU Northwest, offers the community an opportunity to see a Science Olympiad in action. Young scientists from across the region will gather to flex their academic muscle in dozens of carefully planned science and engineering events, such as designing robots, building vehicles, performing chemistry experiments and more.

Competing middle schools include Chesterton. St. Patrick’s, Fegely, Thomas Jefferson, St. Thomas Moore, Kahler, George Rogers Clark, Grimmer, St. Mary’s Catholic, Whiting, Thea Bowman Academy, and RJ Baskett.

Competing high schools include Chesterton, Canterbury, Crown Point, Hammond, Lake Central, Marquette Catholic, Michigan City, Portage, Whiting, Mississinewa, and Thea Bowman Academy.

Opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Bruce W. Bergland Auditorium, located in the Savannah Center. The competition begins at 9 a.m. in the Savannah Gymnasium and other campus locations, with closing ceremonies at 4 p.m. and trophy presentations at 5 p.m. Results will be announced at the end of the awards ceremony.

Winners will advance to the state competition March 21 at Indiana University Bloomington. From there, the top teams will advance to the national tournament on May 15-16 at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. In last year’s regional tournament, local schools advancing to the state tournament included (high schools) Chesterton, Valparaiso, Canterbury and Rennselaer; and (middle schools) Thomas Jefferson, Chesterton, Clifford Pierce, Kahler, and St. Thomas More. Advancing to the Wildcard tournament were Portage High School and St. Mary Middle School.

As a national non-profit organization launched in 1982, Science Olympiad is dedicated to improving K-12 science education. Science Olympiad represents an ideal opportunity for middle and high school students to meet and interact with scientists, academicians, college students, local engineers, and community members in a competitive yet enjoyable setting. Tournaments are designed to: emphasize problem-solving aspects of science and the understanding of scientific concepts; develop teamwork and cooperative learning strategies among students; and demonstrate that American students can perform at levels that surpass expectations of even practicing scientists and engineers.

The public is invited to attend the Regional Science Olympiad Tournament. The Savannah Center is located on the southeast corner of the main campus parking lot at 33rd Avenue and Broadway in Gary.

For more information about the IU Northwest Science Olympiad Regional Tournament, contact College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Nelson DeLeon, Ph.D. at (219) 980-6742, or email him at ndeleon@iun.edu. You may also visit the Web at http://www.iun.edu/science-olympiad/.

About Indiana University Northwest
As one of seven Indiana University campuses, IU Northwest leads the region as the premier, urban campus dedicated to serving the needs of more than 6,000 students from the state’s most diverse and industrialized region. Committed to helping its local Northwest Indiana communities thrive, IU Northwest is best-known for providing a personal, quality and affordable education close to home. IU Northwest positions its students to be leaders with more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional degree options available from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Services, the School of Business and Economics, and the School of Education. The campus is also host to IU School of Medicine-Northwest, which actively involves students in research and local healthcare needs through its four-year medical doctorate program. For more information, please visit www.iun.edu.