Academic Competitions Planned for Middle and High School Students

Feb 3, 2015
The University hosts multiple educational programs and academic competitions for area elementary, middle and high school students during the spring semester, including the Kane Competition for physics and engineering. Visit http://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/k-12.shtml for information about the University’s academic competitions and educational programs for elementary, middle and high school students.
The University hosts multiple educational programs and academic competitions for area elementary, middle and high school students during the spring semester, including the Kane Competition for physics and engineering. Visit http://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/k-12.shtml for information about the University’s academic competitions and educational programs for elementary, middle and high school students.

The University of Scranton will host several academic competitions for area middle school and high school this spring.

The competitions are the Brain Bee for neuroscience, the Stock Market Game, an Earth Day essay competition and art contest, a Computer Science Programming Contest, the Kane Competition for physics and engineering, and the Integration Bee for mathematics.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, the University’s Neuroscience Program will host the 16th annual Northeast PA Brain Bee for high school students in grades 9 through 12. The competition begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Loyola Science Center. The competition encourages high school students to study the brain and how it relates to intelligence, memory, emotions, movements, aging and other factors. The winner of the Northeast PA Brain Bee will be invited to participate in the National Brain Bee, which will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, this spring.

For more information about the Brain Bee, contact Robert Waldeck, Ph.D., program director and associate professor of biology, at 570-941-4324 or robert.waldeck@scranton.edu.

The University offers a Stock Market Game competition for students in grades four through 12 each spring (and fall) semester. The Stock Market Game, a program of EconomicsPennsylvania, is a ten-week simulation during which students invest an imaginary $100,000 by buying stocks listed on the major securities exchanges. Students learn how financial markets operate and hone their mathematics and decision-making skills.

For more information about the Stock Market Game, contact Edward Scahill, Ph.D., associate professor of economics and finance, at edward.scahill@scranton.edu or 570-941-4187. 

On Wednesday, April 15, the University will host its annual Kane Competition The daylong contest tests high school students’ knowledge of physics and engineering through a series of hands-on games and challenges. Students compete individually and as part of a team. The competition can help participants prepare for Advanced Placement tests. It This year’s theme, “Music, Waves and Oscillations” will include a “concert” with participants collaborating to play a song on oversized electric guitar.

The competition will be held in the Byron Recreation Complex and pre-registration is required. For additional information, contact Nancy Laffey at 570-941-7509 or nancy.laffey@scranton.edu.

On Friday, April 17, the annual Computer Programming Contest will be held in the Loyola Science Center. Hosted by the Computing Sciences Department, the four-hour competition for high school students will involve using programming languages to solve six computer-programming problems. Immediately following the competition, an awards banquet will recognize the first-, second- and third-place teams.

For additional information about the Computer Programming Contest, contact Robert McCloskey, Ph.D., assistant professor of computing sciences, at 570-941-7774 or robert.mccloskey@scranton.edu.

On Monday, April 20, the annual Math Integration Bee will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Mcllhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The competition, which is hosted by the Mathematics Department, includes both college and high school divisions. The competition can help high school students improve their skills for Advanced Placement mathematics tests. The Bee is offered free of charge.

For more information, contact Stacey Muir, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, at 570-941-6580 or stacey.muir@scranton.edu.

The University of Scranton and Pennsylvania American Water will sponsor an art contest for students in grades four to six, and an essay contest for students in grades seven to 12. Submissions are due Friday, April 10, for the art contest and Tuesday, April 7, for the essay contest.

Essay contest winners will be announced at an Evening of Environmental Science, which will take place on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Loyola Science Center. The event, which is open to the general public as well as contest participants and their families, will include University student-run interactive science experiments, displays and astronomy observation, as well as the exhibit of art and essay contest submissions.

For additional information about the Earth Day art and essay contest, visit http://www.scranton.edu/sustainability/index.shtml or call 570-941-7520.

The contests are in addition to educational programs offered through the University’s theatre program, art gallery and performance music program, as well as educational tours of the Loyola Science Center and other enrichment programs.

For more information about the University’s educational program for elementary, middle and high school students, visit http://www.scranton.edu/about/community-relations/k-12.shtml.

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