March 2010 marks a very busy time for the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus, not only with our own students, but with area junior and senior high school students. In the coming weeks, Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host several competitions in the subjects of engineering, science, and history, bringing the area's best and brightest middle and high school students to the campus:
Monday, March 8 - Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) Test of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Sciences (TEAMS) competition - Students will work in teams of four to eight members in this two-part competition, which consists of an 80-question multiple choice exam as well as a series of eight tasks related to this year's theme: "Water, Water Everywhere!" Students will apply knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world engineering issues and rely on creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, and peer-to-peer cooperation in order to complete the competition. For more information, please contact John Barnes, JETS/TEAMS Regional Coordinator, at 570-675-9229 or [email protected], or visit the JETS/TEAMS website.
Wednesday, March 10 - Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Science Olympiad - More than 750 students from 52 northeastern and central Pennsylvania schools will compete in events such as disease detective, egg-o-naut, junkyard challenge, and other events in the fields of anatomy, biology, chemistry, physics, problem solving, and technology. Winners of both junior and senior high schools will advance to the state competition in April at Juniata College. The Science Olympiad is devoted to increasing student interest in science, recognizing outstanding achievement, and improving the quality of science education. Individual and team events will test the skills and knowledge of the students in anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, physics, problem solving, and technology. For more information, please contact Daniel Blessner, Northeast Regional Science Olympiad Director, at 570-675-9162 or [email protected] or visit the Science Olympiad website.
Saturday, March 20 - National History Day Regional Competition - More than 200 students in grades 6-12 will be on campus to present their projects for this year's theme: "Innovation in History: Impact and Change." Students have chosen topics related to this year's theme and conducted primary and secondary research at libraries, archives, museums, and historical sites as well as through oral history interviews. The History Day Competition allows the students to present their work through one of five media: paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, or Web site. The top three finishers at the Regional level will advance to the State competition. Winners of the State competition will move on to the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park in June. For more information, please contact Dr. Christyne Berzsenyi, Regional Coordinator/Co-Chair of the History Day Regional Program, at 570-675-9275 or [email protected], or visit the National History Day website.