20th Annual LADWP Science Bowl L.A.'s High School Whiz Kids Vie for Science 'Oscars'

LADWP Press Release:   
The day before the Academy Awards, Saturday, February 25, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., more than 260 students on 53 teams from 30 public, charter and private high schools throughout the city will compete at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) 20th Annual Science Bowl Regional Competition at the utility's downtown headquarters, 111 North Hope Street.

The winning team as the regional champion will travel to Washington, D.C. from April 26 to 30 to represent the city and compete at the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl, the Science "Oscars" where it will face 68 other teams from more than 40 states.  LADWP regional championship teams are among the best in the U.S., having won four national titles and placed among the top five teams 10 times.  The trip to Washington, D.C. is funded by the Department of Energy.

Science Bowl demonstrates the LADWP's commitment to the city's youth and the Los Angeles educational community.  A proud LADWP tradition, Science Bowl tests students' reflexes, teamwork skills and knowledge of science, math and technology in a fun competitive atmosphere following a television game show format.

The participating students are among the best in the city.  The Science Bowl provides a venue that demonstrates through competition that science, math and technology are as exciting as sports.  The program enables students to showcase their talents and sharpen their academic skills.

North Hollywood High School won last year's LADWP Regional Science Bowl.

At this year's competition students will vie for a combined $25,000 in college scholarship funds for themselves and prizes for their respective schools. First place team members will receive $1,000 Hitachi Scholarships as well as $2,000 for their school.  Other scholarships and awards are funded by First Wind, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and other sponsors.

This year, LADWP Science Bowl sponsors include not only First Wind, but also the Hitachi Southern California Regional Community Action Committee, the Hitachi Foundation, the Clary Corporation, Gelson's Markets, the Water and Power Community Credit Union, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Power and Energy Society, Metro LA Chapter, IEEE Industry Applications Society, Office Depot, the Engineers' Council, the Los Angeles Dodgers, LA CityView Ch. 35, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the U.S. Department of Energy.

LADWP has partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and other educational institutions for more than 30 years. Currently, in addition to Science Bowl, LADWP Educational Programs and partnerships include the Adopt-A-School Program, and an Electric Safety Program for grades 4-6.

LADWP provides science and math lessons as well as electric safety classroom and student activities on its website.  The utility also has produced with LA CityView Ch. 35, the Emmy-winning video "Outdoor Electric Safety" program which is offered to schools on DVD.

LADWP is the largest municipally-owned utility in the nation with more than 1.4 million customers. It has provided utility services to residents and businesses in the city of Los Angeles for more than a century.