MADISON – A team of students from both middle schools in Madison will participate in an upcoming competition for the 30th annual National Science Bowl, affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

Liberty and Discovery middle schools will represent the region in the finals of the National Science Bowl. The Department of Energy launched the contest to interest today’s youth in pursuing careers in science and math. (science.osti.gov/wdts/nsb)

Winning team members from the regional competition will receive trips, all expenses paid, to Washington D.C. to enter the national finals of the National Science Bowl from April 30 to May 4. The winner of the national competition will earn prizes for team members and their schools.

The National Science Bowl serves to inspire and challenge the country’s future leaders in science and technology. Middle school and high school students started to compete in March for the 2020 series of tournaments. Thousands of middle and high school students from all sections of the United States soon will pit their knowledge of math and science — and their reflexes — against one another.

Four students from each team will face off in a fast-paced, question-and-answer format. At the national finals in Washington D.C., winning teams can score adventure trips to Alaska and national parks to learn first-hand about science in the field. Winners will receive trophies, medals and supplies for their schools’ science departments.

“But to many, the ultimate prize simply would be the prestige of winning the national championship,” Department of Energy spokesperson Natalie Soldan said. “Each year, the bowl draws more than 14,700 middle- and high-school competitors. More than 305,000 students have faced off in National Science Bowl finals since the first competition in 1991.”

Teams are tested on science disciplines, including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, energy and mathematics. Knowledge that science bowl contestants acquire and, more importantly, study habits they learn along the way have led them to success in various fields. “Many have become researchers; others are science and math professors at some of our nation’s most prestigious universities,” Soldan said.

For more information, visit energy.gov/science.