North Allegheny Senior High School Team 1 captured first place at the Western Pennsylvania Science Bowl (WPASB) high school competition, which was held Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Community College of Allegheny County-South Campus in West Mifflin.

Thirty-eight teams from 26 schools competed in the tournament sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and NETL. Coming in at second, third and fourth place were South Fayette High School Team 1, North Allegheny Senior High School Team 2 and Norwin High School Team 1, respectively.

As the first-place winner, North Allegheny Team 1 advances to compete at the 2024 National Science Bowl, which will be held April 25-29 in Washington, D.C.

“Congratulations to North Allegheny Team 1 on your impressive victory,” said NETL Director Marianne Walck. “This was a highly competitive tournament filled with many talented teams. Your hard work and dedication prepared you to succeed. Best wishes and good luck at the National Science Bowl.”

During the pandemic, the WPASB was held in an all-virtual format to protect the health of students, their coaches and the volunteers who support the event.

“For the first time since 2020, we were able to hold an in-person competition,” said NETL’s Adam Lott, lead coordinator for NETL’s regional Science Bowl competitions. “This competition was a great success, thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, including NETL researchers and other staff, who served as judges, moderators, scorekeepers and in other roles.”

NETL has sponsored the WPASB for more than three decades as a forum that requires students to answer questions on topics related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The fast-paced, quiz-style event helps students expand their science and math knowledge while participating in an exciting competition in which they learn about the importance of teamwork and other skills.

“At NETL, we know this event also inspires students to excel in their STEM-related studies and to explore careers as the next generation of scientists and engineers who will solve emerging challenges in energy, the environment and other fields,” Walck said.

High schools that competed in Saturday’s competition were Baldwin, Canon-McMillan, Central Catholic, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel Area, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Hempfield Area, Keystone Oaks, Lenape Technical, Mars Area, Moon Area, Mt. Lebanon, North Allegheny, North Allegheny Intermediate, North Hills, Norwin, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Plum, Sewickley Academy, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair, West Allegheny, and Woodland Hills. Twelve schools sent two teams.

NETL will sponsor the WPASB middle school competition on Saturday, March 2, at the Community College of Allegheny County-South Campus. The Lab coordinates the WPASB as part of its STEM Education and Outreach program.

NETL is a DOE national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By using its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant, and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans.