FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009

CONTACT: John Schuster
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
305-995-1126

M-DCPS STUDENTS WIN SPOTS AT TWO COMPETITIONS: ODYSSEY OF THE MIND STATE FINALS, OCEAN SCIENCE BOWL NATIONAL FINALS

MIAMI – Nine Miami-Dade public schools won first place at the regional competition of Odyssey of the Mind, last Saturday, and secured their places at the state finals in Orlando on April 3-4.

            The nine Odyssey of the Mind finalist schools are as follows:

• Phyllis R. Miller Elementary • Palmetto Elementary
• Devon Aire K-8 Center  • David Lawrence K-8 Center
• Keys Gate Charter  • Homestead Middle
• José Martí Middle • Coral Reef Senior High
• Miami Springs Senior High  

            Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.

            In a separate competition, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School won first place at the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB), also held last Saturday on Key Biscayne and hosted by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. HML’s team will travel to Washington, D.C. on April 25-27 to compete in the national finals. This is HML’s first time going to the national finals.

            Each February, regional competitions are held at 25 locations across the country. Teams of 4-5 students test their knowledge of scientific and technical disciplines through quick answer buzzer questions and more complex team challenge questions. The winning team from each of the 25 regional competitions is provided transportation and room and board to advance to the finals.

            The NOSB is a nationally recognized and highly acclaimed high school academic competition that provides a forum for talented students to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology. The NOSB was created in 1998 in honor of the International Year of the Ocean. Since its inception, the competition has grown to include 300 schools and over 2,000 students participating annually.

            For information about the Odyssey of the Mind, contact Tropic Region Director Juan Salinas at 305-265-3737. For information on the NOSB, contact HML’s team sponsor Kirk Nieveen at 305-823-1330.

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09-JJS/390/HD

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