Important note for journalists covering L.A. County Science Olympiad: News media photographers and camerapersons are welcome to take photos and video in general of the L.A. County Science Olympiad. Following courtesy, tradition and event rules, journalists should obtain permission from individual participating designers before recording or photographing specific devices from design events.

To make prior arrangements for a tour of events at the Science Olympiad, contact: Cal State L.A.’s Public Affairs office at (323) 343-3050 or Alan Muchlinski, Associate Dean, CSULA Graduate Studies and Research, at (323) 343-3820 or amuchli@calstatela.edu.

On the day of the competition, contact: Muchlinski at (626) 260-0306.

Young minds—from Alhambra to Walnut—
to display strength,
dexterity at Science Olympiad

Los Angeles, CA –– As the site of the 2008 Los Angeles County Science Olympiad, California State University, Los Angeles will attract hundreds of science-minded youths Saturday, March 15. Representing communities ranging from Alhambra to Walnut, more than 100 elementary, middle and high school teams will exercise their ingenuity and test their knowledge in events related to biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, computers and technology.

With more than 60 events in the full day of competition, teams of students will be challenged to design and build a propelled aerodynamic device to compete for the greatest time aloft. They will attempt to build the lightest tower (made out of wood), with the highest structural efficiency, capable of supporting a load of up to 15 kilograms. In other events, teams will identify polymers, solids, fibers and other materials in a mock crime scenario; construct a vehicle solely propelled by electricity; and, using a series of clues, seek to solve the microbial mystery of a disease and its origin.

The Olympiad check-in starts at 7 a.m. in Cal State L.A.’s Greenlee Plaza (adjacent to the Physical Sciences building). Events are scheduled for several campus buildings. The program will conclude with an awards ceremony at 5 p.m. in the Eagles Nest Gymnasium, where the top-scoring middle and high school teams will be announced.

The events, designed to be both challenging and motivational, require knowledge of facts and concepts, along with skills for scientific applications. The competition will be in three divisions—elementary (A), middle (B) and high school (C). For the roster of participating schools and the schedule of events for each division, go to www.lacountyscienceolympiad.org

Many Cal State L.A. faculty, staff and students, along with other volunteers, will help coordinate and judge the events.

For more about the 2008 L.A. County Science Olympiad, call the Graduate Studies and Research office at Cal State L.A., (323) 343-3820.

Science Olympiad
The Los Angeles County Science Olympiad, now more than 20 years old, is an annual regional competition held between teams of students representing elementary, middle, and high schools. Winning teams advance to the Southern California Science Olympiad and success at the state level leads to the National Science Olympiad held annually at various sites around the country.

The Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorous, academic, interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of individual and team events which students prepare for during the year. There is a balance between events requiring knowledge of science facts, concepts, processes, skills and science applications.

The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. To learn more about the Science Olympiad, email info@lacountyscienceolympiad.org

Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 200,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to a unique university center for gifted students as young as 12. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH- and Rockefeller-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu

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