PR 01-20                                                                                                             BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
                                                                                                                       MEDIA ADVISORY: Friday, February 20, 2020
                                                                                                         CONTACT: Kevin Wingert, 503-230-4140/971-207-8390
                                                                                                                                                                        or 503-230-5131

Saturday: BPA hosts 29th annual regional science bowl
Dynamic, Jeopardy-style competition features 52 teams from high schools vying for berth in National Science Bowl and nearly $160k in college scholarships

Portland, Ore. – Students from Catlin Gabel High School look to repeat their 2019 championship performance at the Bonneville Power Administration’s 29th annual Regional Science Bowl this Saturday at the University of Portland. Standing in their way will be five-time champion Westview High School and roughly 260 students from public and private high school teams across western Washington and Oregon, all vying for a chance to compete in the Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C.

The event, sponsored by BPA and the University of Portland, is the largest regional science bowl in the nation. The intense academic event uses a Jeopardy-style round robin competition that showcases students’ talents in science, technology, engineering and math. Beyond the prestige of winning and entry into the national competition, BPA and science bowl volunteers have worked to establish partnerships with 16 universities and colleges in the Northwest to offer members of the top three competing teams more than $150,000 in potential scholarships.

The event is fueled by volunteers, made up largely of BPA employees and previous competitors returning to the event to pay it forward to other young people. Among those volunteers are a cardiologist from Seattle, an MIT student and the architect for the Seattle Opera at the Center. BPA views this event as an opportunity to encourage students to consider STEM-based careers and build the future labor pool of scientists and innovators so critical to the energy industry.

Interested media are encouraged to attend and cover the event. BPA will help to facilitate interviews and collection of b-roll video footage and still imagery.

BPA REGIONAL SCIENCE BOWL 2020

Where: Franz Hall, University of Portland, Portland, Oregon

When: Feb. 22, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

More info: www.bpa.gov/goto/ScienceBowl

About BPA

The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 143 Northwest electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA delivers power via more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and 261 substations to 546 transmission customers. In all, BPA markets about a third of the electricity generated in the Northwest. BPA also funds one of the largest fish and wildlife programs in the nation, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain affordable, reliable and clean electric power for the Northwest. www.bpa.gov

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