A team of students from Calloway County Middle School in Kentucky advanced to the DOE National Science Bowl® by winning the West Kentucky Regional competition on February 10, 2023.
Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office
February 10, 2023
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PADUCAH, Ky. — Students from Calloway County Middle School of Murray, Kentucky won the U.S. Department of Energy’s West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl on February 10, earning themselves a berth in the National Science Bowl® finals in April.
The annual event in Paducah is one of the region’s most notable science competitions. The five-member Calloway County team will now compete in the national finals April 27 to May 1.
Heath Middle School finished second and Paducah Middle School finished third in the regional competition, now in its fifteenth year. Thirteen middle school teams competed this year.
“Every year our students work hard to prepare for this competition. It’s always rewarding to see their persistence and determination pay off with a win like they experienced today. None of this would be possible without the support of the Department of Energy and the many, many volunteers who help coordinate this event,” Calloway County Middle School coach Scott Pile said.
Other middle schools competing in this year’s event included Ballard County Middle School, Cairo Junior High School, Henderson County Middle School, Lone Oak Middle School, Massac County Junior High School, Murray Middle School, Murphysboro Middle School, North Marshall Middle School, Reidland Middle School and St. Mary Middle School.
The Science Bowl tournament is a quick-recall, fast-paced, question-and-answer contest. The tournament is designed to test knowledge of biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, energy, mathematics, and physics.
“The commitment of students and coaches to dedicate time outside their normal academic pressures to prepare for this event is amazing,” said Joel Bradburne, Manager of DOE’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO). “It’s our hope that the topics we cover seamlessly align with the current focus on STEM education for students in our region, expanding to new opportunities on a national level.”
The first place high school and middle school teams in the West Kentucky Regional Science Bowl will receive $1,500 for their schools. Each year, more than 14,000 students from across the country compete in the national competition. Since the event began 30 years ago, more than 315,000 students have competed.
Sponsors of the 15th Annual DOE Regional Science Bowl include: DOE, the University of Kentucky College of Engineering—Paducah Campus, the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership, Swift & Staley, Mid-America Conversion Services, ARS Aleut Remediation, Beltline Electric, Enterprise Technical Assistance Services, Geosyntec, North Wind Group, Paducah Water, Chase Environmental, GEO Consultants, HDR Engineering, HealthWorks, and Crystal Water.
The event is organized by employees and contractors of DOE PPPO. More than 50 volunteers serve as moderators, judges, technical advisors, and scorekeepers. DOE’s Office of Science manages the National Science Bowl® Finals competition. More information is available at https://science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb.
