An Invitation to Participate
The 15th Annual Alaska Tsunami Bowl is happening March 2–4, 2012.
Dear NOSB Coach / Science Department Chair,
On behalf of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (formerly CORE) and the National Marine Educators Association, the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences invites you and your high school students to participate in the 15th Annual Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB).
Regional competitions will be held around the country during February and March 2012. The Alaska Region NOSB will take place in Seward, March 2–4, 2012. The national competition will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, April 19–22, 2012.
Intent to Participate forms will be accepted until November 15, 2011. This regional competition is limited to 20 teams, so don't delay. Only one team per school will be accepted, on a first-come, first-served basis, until October 1, 2011. If space is available after October 1, additional teams from schools already accepted can sign up. Teams that are not in the first 20 to sign up will be placed on a waiting list and notified if space becomes available due to teams dropping out. Information will be sent to all those responding to this invitation.
Again this year, the Alaska Region NOSB will consist of two equally weighted parts: a tournament quiz-style academic competition, designed to challenge and recognize the students' knowledge of sciences in the context of the oceans; and a project with written and oral components. The project meets all of the State of Alaska high school English standards, including writing.
The research project topic for the 2012 Tsunami Bowl is Ecosystem-based Management of an Alaska-based Fishery.
The research project is optional. Teams can choose to participate in just the quiz-style competition. But since the project is worth up to half of the total score, teams not doing the project will not be eligible for the UAF tuition waivers, scholarships, or the free trip to the national final competition in April 2012. However, they can participate in all the regional event activities.
Teams consist of 5 high school students: 4 team members plus an alternate. The alternate is optional, but recommended. The coach is usually, but not restricted to, a science or math teacher. A parent may be a coach as well. Home-school and private-school students, as well as science clubs or other student groups, are welcome to participate.
The competition will be held over three days: a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with a possible optional program Thursday evening before the competition. Fundraising will determine prizes. In the past, UAF and UAS have offered tuition waivers to members of the team that wins overall. The Consortium for Ocean Leadership will pay all travel expenses for the Alaska regional winners to attend the NOSB finals in April and compete against the other regional winners.
NOTE: Teams will be responsible for their own travel costs to the regional competition. Please budget for these expenses. Travel assistance funds will be available to help teams cover part of their expenses if needed.
Schools that field a Tsunami Bowl team are eligible to have their art students participate in the NOSB juried art show, “The ”and the “Living on the Ocean Planet” video contest, both of which are optional and do not affect a team’s standing in the Tsunami Bowl.
We are proud to host this challenging academic competition and hope to have your school's participation. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Shoemaker
Coordinator, Alaska Region National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Seward Marine Center
PO Box 730
Seward, Alaska 99664
907-224-4312
