DOE - Middle School Science Bowl H2 Fuel Cell Car Challenge

To ensure that today’s brightest students become tomorrow’s scientific leaders, President Bush proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative, which aims to keep America as the most innovative nation in the world.  With funding from Congress, this initiative will provide increased investments in the most critical basic research programs in the physical sciences to strengthen science and math education, and encourage entrepreneurship and technology discovery.  The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Science Bowl exemplifies how children who are engaged, encouraged, and equipped with proper resources can succeed academically.  The goal of the American Competitiveness Initiative - and the National Science Bowl – is to invest in our next generation of scientists, engineers and educators so America can remain at the forefront of innovation and successfully compete in the 21st century global marketplace.

A featured event at the National Middle School Science Bowl, The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car Challenge invites students to design, build, and race model cars, competing for cash prizes for their school’s science department. This competition tests the creative engineering skills of many of the brightest math and science students in the nation as they gain hands-on experience in the automotive design process and with hydrogen fuel cell technology.

2008 was the first year in which Nevada took part in the Middle School Science Bowl. The organizers attracted nine local middle schools to participate in the event, which was held on the UNLV campus April 5th. In support of this event, the OSEP proudly sponsored the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car Challenge.

Further information may be found on the DOE web site at: http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/nmsb/Region.htm