After taking first place in their respective regional Science Bowl competitions, Suncrest Middle School (Morgantown, West Virginia) and North Allegheny Cyber Academy (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) competed in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl® middle school preliminary and elimination rounds Saturday, May 8. Out of 52 teams consisting of 2,720 middle school students from across the country, Suncrest Middle School finished in the top 32 and North Allegheny Cyber Academy finished in the top 16.

The National Science Bowl is a nationwide competition held annually to promote science and technology in education. High school students compete as teams in an action-packed quiz bowl format to answer questions on science, math and engineering. First-place winners of regional competitions from across the country competed over the weekend in three preliminary rounds, with the top 32 teams advancing to the elimination rounds. All events were held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, NETL celebrated its 30th anniversary of hosting the West Virginia Regional Science Bowl and Western Pennsylvania Regional Science Bowl for the next generation of scientists and innovators. Students from Suncrest Middle School and North Allegheny Cyber Academy placed first in the West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania Regional Science Bowls on Feb. 5 and March 6, respectively. The regional competitions were held virtually for the first time over the Zoom videoconferencing platform.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory develops and demonstrates for commercialization advanced technologies that provide clean energy while safeguarding the environment. NETL’s work supports DOE’s mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy and environmental challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.