TORONTO, April 29, 1998 -- Nine hundred elementary and high school students from across Ontario will compete for honour while challenging their minds during the third annual Science Olympiad being held at York University from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, 1998.

Sixty student teams will participate in 37 events which test students' science savvy. The events tap students' knowledge in physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, earth sciences as well as their agility in processing and responding to communications. Students will be required to demonstrate flexibility in conducting lab experiments, constructing structures or testing their own ingenuity.

Grade seven and eight students will compete in Division B, high school students will compete in Division C. The winning team from each division will be sent to the international science competition in Grand Valley State University, Michigan on May 15 and 16.

Attached is a complete list of Ontario schools participating in the Science Olympiad.

Some of this year's science challenges include:

Scrambler - Students must design and build a device that will transport an egg 8 to 12 metres as fast as possible to the finish line.

Bottle Rocket - Participants will design, construct and test rockets made from a two-litre plastic pop bottle which must remain aloft as long as possible.

Bungie Egg Drop - From an elevated height, students will drop an egg, which is attached to an elastic cord, toward its ground target being careful not to break it.

Bridge Building - Students will design, build and test a bridge which can hold as much as 20 kg.

Wheeled Vehicle - Contestants will construct and test a vehicle which uses a non-metallic elastic device as its sole means of propulsion.

The Ontario Science Olympiad, a volunteer, non-profit organization of educators and business mentors, is devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers.

"We're in the business of preparing the science and technology leaders of tomorrow and developing science literacy for all students, " says tournament director, Carol Pattenden, a science teacher with the Durham District Board of Education.

"The Science Olympiad has had a very positive impact on students," she adds. "A recent study conducted of students who won scholarships at an international tournament found encouraging results. More than two-thirds of the respondents cited Science Olympiad as a direct influence on their career choices. Of these students, 85 per cent were planning professions in math or science. Many claim that their career choices are related to individual events at the competition."

Events, which will take place across campus, will begin at 9 a.m. and run to 4:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place at about 4.45 p.m. in the Curtis Building.

Media packages will be available Saturday at the Registration Desk, located in the Curtis Building.

York University, the third largest in Canada, is nationally and internationally respected for its innovative research and teaching. With its combination of dedicated and talented faculty, bright and ambitious students, dynamic curriculum and modern campus in the heart of one of North America's most influential urban centres, York University is setting the modern standard in academic excellence.

For more information please call:

Angela Bianchi
Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086

Carol Pattenden
Tournament Director
(905) 666-5500, ext. 5367
YU/040/98

Toronto area:

Agincourt C.I.
A.Y. Jackson Secondary School
Birch Cliff Public School
Campbell Collegiate
Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute
Crescent School
C.W. Jeffreys C.I.
Cummer Valley Middle School
Dr. Norman Bethune
Don Mills Middle School
Don Mills Collegiate
Earl Haig Secondary
Fisherville J.H.S.
Harbord C.I.
Joseph Howe Sr. School
L'Amoreaux C.I.
Ledbury Park E.M.S.
Midland Avenue C.I.
Nelson A. Boylen C.I.
Oakdale Park Middle School
Pleasant View Junior High School
St. Joseph's College
Sir John A. Macdonald C.I.
St. Andrew's Junior High School
The University of Toronto Schools
Windfields Junior High School
Zion Heights Junior High

Other Ontario schools:

Centennial Secondary School (Belleville)
St. Dominic Catholic Secondary (Bracebridge)
Chatham Kent Secondary
Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School (Gloucester)
Huntsville High School
Courtland Avenue Public School (Kitchener)
Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary (Milton)
Huron Heights Secondary (Newmarket)
Frenchman's Bay Public School (Pickering)
Port Perry High School
St. Charles College (Sudbury)
Huron Park Secondary (Woodstock)
Manitoulin Secondary School (West Bay)
Pickering High School (Ajax)
Cadarackque Public School (Ajax)
Southwood Park Public School (Ajax)
Westney Heights Public School (Ajax)
Lakeside Public School (Ajax)
T. R. McEwan Senior Public School (Oshawa)
Central Park Public School (Oshawa)
Erindale Secondary (Mississauga)
Loyola Catholic Secondary ( Mississauga)
Father Michael Goetz (Mississauga)
Henry Street High School (Whitby)
Sinclair Secondary School (Whitby)