Naperville North students win National Science Bowl regional competition, secure spot in national finals
A team of high school students from Naperville North recently won their regional competition for the 2022 National Science Bowl. The team will compete in the NSB National Finals this spring, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which sponsors the bowl.
"The National Science Bowl is a great opportunity for young people across America to come together through science," said U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk. "And I want to congratulate the Naperville North High School team on advancing to the national finals! Good luck to you - our future scientists, innovators, and leaders!"
The National Science Bowl brings together thousands of middle and high school students: large and small schools, urban and rural settings. Each team is composed of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach. The teams compete in a fast-paced question-and-answer format where they solve technical problems and answer questions on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space sciences, physics and math.
The winning team from each of the middle and high schools regional competitions compete in the national finals. Depending upon guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the national finals may also be a virtual event. The virtual/in-person status will be determined by March 1.
If the 2022 National Finals are virtual, middle school teams will compete for the national championship on Saturday, May 7, 2022, and high school teams will compete for the national championship on Saturday, May 21, 2022.
If the competition is in-person, the competition will take place April 28-May 2 in Washington, D.C.
Teams will receive at least $500 and up to $2,500 for first place, to use for their school's STEM activities. But to many, the ultimate prize is simply the prestige of winning the national championship.
The National Science Bowl annually draws more than 14,700 middle and high school competitors. Since the first competition in 1991, approximately 325,000 students have faced off in the National Science Bowl Finals. The knowledge that former competitors have acquired and, more importantly, the collaborative skills and study habits that they learned along the way have led them to successes in a variety of fields. Many have become researchers; others are science and math professors.
The 2022 competitors will follow in the footsteps of previous National Science Bowl contestants and blaze a trail for students in science, math, and engineering.
The Department of Energy Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl and sponsors the finals competition.
DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the U.S., is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit www.energy.gov/science.