(Posted April 25, 2011)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Students from 70 high schools and middle schools across Pennsylvania will try to get sumo wrestler-like robots to grapple, construct a vehicle using a common mousetrap and build a featherweight tower that can support the greatest amount of weight at the 2011 Pennsylvania Science Olympiad Finals to be held on the campus of Juniata College, Friday, April 29.

This will be the 20th year Juniata College has hosted the state finals.

"The 20th anniversary of bringing Science Olympiad to Juniata has meant that we have been able to get the cream of the crop of talented science students from across Pennsylvania. The visiting students can see our campus and consider going here to use our excellent science facilities."

Ron Pauline, professor emeritus of education, Science Olympiad state tournament site director

"The 20th anniversary of bringing Science Olympiad to Juniata has meant that we have been able to get the cream of the crop of talented science students from across Pennsylvania," says Ron Pauline, professor emeritus of education and Science Olympiad state tournament site director. "The visiting students can see our campus and consider going here to use our excellent science facilities. Juniata is honored to have hosted the state finals for such a long time and also serve as the site for the national finals in 2004."

The students will compete across campus at sites such as the von Liebig Center for Science, Knox Stadium, the Kennedy Sports and Recreation Center and the lawn behind Ellis Hall.

The 2011 Science Olympiad begins at 8:30 a.m. and continues throughout the day, ending with an awards ceremony at approximately 4:15 p.m. in the sport's center's main gym. More than 1,000 students will compete.

Competitors are separated into two divisions: Division B (grades 6-9) and Division C (grades 9-12).

Teams attending the state finals at Juniata qualified by finishing first or second at one of six regional competitions held in March. Teams finishing first or second in the April 29 state finals will go on to compete in the Science Olympiad National Tournament at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wis., May 20-21.

The Science Olympiad nurtures the ingenuity and inspiration of young science students as teams create a variety of science competitions in 23 events. The events, which can involve individuals or teams, allow students to think quickly and decisively while building an elaborate project.

For example, in Sumo-Bots, where wheeled, remote-controlled vehicles compete in an enclosed space to try and flip over competitors, students must know robotics and industrial design. Other events include Mousetrap Vehicle, where students construct a mini-car out of a common mousetrap, and Towers, where students design and build a tower of the lightest material that can support the greatest amount of weight.

Other events test knowledge and skills in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth science, and physics.

Science Olympiad is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and recognizing outstanding achievements in science education.

For more information on the Science Olympiad, visit the Science Olympiad Web site: Juniata College also has a Web site dedicated to the event at http://projects.juniata.edu/scioly/.


Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.