(Posted April 21, 2003)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Students from 70 high schools and middle schools in Pennsylvania will be examining forensic clues from a simulated crime scene, firing rockets into the air, and exploring the world of science at the 2003 Pennsylvania Science Olympiad Finals to be held on the campus of Juniata College, Friday, April 25.

This will be the 12th year Juniata College has hosted the state finals.

"Juniata will be the site for the 2004 National Science Olympiad, so we are going to use our role as the state competition site to hone our skills for the national competition next year," says Ron Pauline, associate professor of education and Science Olympiad state tournament site director. "We love to host the Science Olympiad because it gives faculty, students and staff a chance to work with some of the best science students in the state."

The students will take part in a variety of science projects across campus at sites such as the von Liebig Center for Science, Knox Stadium, Huntingdon Area High School the Kennedy Sports and Recreation Center and the lawn behind Ellis College Center.

The 2003 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 25 state finals will go on to compete in the Science Olympiad National Tournament at Ohio State University, May 10.

The Science Olympiad brings out the talents, resourcefulness and skills of the top young scientific minds in the state as teams create different science projects for competition in 23 events. The events, which can involve individuals or teams, allow students to think creatively while building an elaborate project.

For example, in the Scrambler competition, students will have to affix an egg to the front of a self-propelled vehicle and compete to see how close they can get to a wall with a single push of the vehicle. The egg cannot crack during the competition.

Other events include Mission Possible, where students build Rube Goldberg-style devices to demonstrate scientific principles; Robo-Billiards; and Science Crime Busters, where students identify various substances in a simulated crime scene.

Other events test knowledge and skills in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth science, entomology, 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/pacomp/index.html.
The middle schools and high schools with teams in the 2003 Pennsylvania Science Olympiad State Finals are:

B Division - Grades 6 - 9


Northeastern Region

Kane Area Middle School
Shady Side Academy Middle School
Indiana Junior High School
Ford City Junior High School
DuBois Middle School

Southwestern Region

Peter's Twp. Middle School
Carroll Middle School
Norwin Middle School
Finley Middle School
Franklin Regional Middle School

Central region

Lemoyne Middle School
Hershey Middle School
Bishop McDevitt Junior High School

Southeastern region

Camp Hill Middle School
Welsh Valley Middle School
Bala Cynwyd Middle School
Spring Ford Middle School
J.R. Fugett Middle School
Friends Central Middle School
Stetson Middle School
Unami Middle School
Chichester Middle School
Peirce Middle School

Centraleastern region

Fleetwood Middle School.
East Hills Middle School
Wilson Southern Junior High School
Orefield Middle School
Twin Valley Middle School

Northeastern region

Stroudsburg Junior High School
Wyoming Area Middle School
G.A.R. Memorial Junior High School
Danville Middle School
Dallas Middle School
J.T. Lambert Intermediate School
Wyoming Valley West Middle School


C Division - Grades 9 - 12

Northwestern region

DuBois Area High School
Franklin Area High School
Warren Area High School
Montour High School
North East High School
Clarion Area High School
Kane Area High School

Southwestern region

Plum Senior High School
Franklin Regional High School
Greater Latrobe High School
Peters Twp. High School
Gateway Area High School

Central region

State College High School
Bishop McDevitt High School
Hershey High School--Central
Susquehanna Twp. Valley High School
Shippensburg Senior High School
Warwick High School

Southeastern region

Harriton High SchoolSoutheastern Region
Lower Merion High School.
Haverford Senior High School
Friends Central School
West Chester East High School
Penncrest High School

Centralwastern region

Fleetwood Area High School
Kutztown Area High School
Wilson High School
Parkland High School

Northeastern region

Stroudsburg High School
Wyalusing Jr./Sr. High School
Wyoming Area High School
Wyoming Valley West High School
Bishop Hoban High School.
Hazleton Area High School
Pittston Area High School

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