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Home About Get Involved Donate Blog Compete in the 2024 virtual Shore Bowl! WHEN Saturday 3/23/2024, all teams all Saturday;elim rnds Sunday afternoon Rain or shine. Sign up by 12/14/2023 WHAT Shore Bowl 2024 Fun and engaging virtual, head-to-head ocean sciences competition for high school students in New Jersey and beyond, featuring a keynote address by Jake Kuenzli, a doctoral student in the Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. The Shore Bowl is hosted by People Making a Difference (PMD) long-time host of the Blue Lobster (MA) and Quahog Bowls (RI & CT), as well as the Maine High School Science Bowl and 2023 Alumni Ocean Sciences Invitational. WHERE Virtual/Zoom Note: We only share zoom links, schedules, and other details with registered teams and volunteers via google sheets since we cannot accommodate any observers/audience members or walk-ins, i.e., unregistered teams or volunteers. WHY There is a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education, so the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) introduces high school students to and engages them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards. The NOSB’s focus on ocean science education is important. Humans rely on a healthy ocean for oxygen, resources, jobs, and more. Our future leaders must be knowledgeable about ocean issues. The ocean is an ideal interdisciplinary teaching tool for science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) that puts study in a real-world context. Working in the ocean environment poses challenges that push the innovation, engineering, and technology development needed in our workforce. However, ocean science is not a course generally offered at the high school level. The NOSB is one of the only ways students gain exposure to all of ocean science and related careers as they are beginning to chart their course in life. Science bowls provide high school students with exciting opportunities to test their knowledge and understanding and to practice working together as a team to solve problems. National Ocean Scholar Program As part of the NOSB’s continuing effort to recognize individual achievement, NOSB offers the National Ocean Scholar Program, awarding scholarships for tuition assistance to NOSB students who have an interest in pursuing an ocean or environmental science major in their first year of post-high school education. All applicants for this scholarship program must have competed in a regional NOSB competition at least once during their high school careers. Learn about additional criteria and deadline at https://nosb.org/scholarships HOW REGISTRATION To apply to compete in this 2024 virtual bowl, coaches must complete a separate Team Intent Form for each one of a high school’s A and (optional) B teams. One form per team must be RECEIVED by Thursday, December 14, 2023. Scan and email completed and co-signed form to Ltsuruda at gmail dot com by 11:59pm ET on 12/14/2023 Or send original hardcopy to ARRIVE BY 12/14 to: Lori Tsuruda/PMD P.O. Box 120189 Boston, MA 02112-0189 Multiple teams from the same school can combine their forms inside one envelope. (If express delivery needed, use USPS-delivery only to send to a USPS post office box. Do NOT require a signature. Do NOT use FedEx or UPS since they don’t deliver to post office boxes.) If we have more interested teams than we can accommodate, we will accept one team (the "A Team") from every school that has applied. If sufficient space remains, we will then accept all secondary teams ("B Teams"). If we cannot accommodate all of the teams in a class (A or B), we will determine competing schools from that class by random drawing of teams whose completed intent forms are received by the 12/14/23 deadline. Coaches will be notified of their respective teams’ statuses (competing or wait-listed** to compete in case there are cancellations) via email on December 22, 2023. On 12/22/2023, coaches will also receive the PDF forms and links for registrations and consents due 2/29/2024 online. **We strongly encourage coaches of waitlisted teams to register students online and for coaches and parents/guardians to complete their online consents also by the deadline, and to prepare to compete fully in case there are last-minute cancellations or we recruit additional volunteers so that we can enlarge this bowl. Registration Summary 1. Coach submits a completed and co-signed INTENT FORM for his/her team, to be received by 12/14/2023. 2. Regional Coordinator notifies the coaches of accepted and wait-listed teams and provides forms and links for team members by 12/18/2023. 3. Coach emails completed forms for each team member, (optional) assistant coach, and self for his/her team by 2/29/2024 online. 4. Parents/guardians provide media, and recruitment consents for all students by 2/29/2024 online. 5. Coaches provide their own media consents by 2/29/2024 online. COST Participation is free thanks to release of unused Shore Bowl funding by Rutgers. We ask all teams to respect the 2/29/24 registration deadline to cancel their participation so that they won’t disappoint assigned competitors. RESOURCES 2024 Rules-updated 1/26/24 Forming a Team Sample Questions & Study Resources Coach Zoom Meeting on 12/1/2023 Coaches are invited to learn about the virtual competition structure, rules, and technology requirements at 3:30pm on Friday 12/1/2023. Register for the Coaches’ Zoom Meeting : https://makingadifference.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5orxNlg3wmVe01U WHO The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is an academic competition and program that addresses a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards. Pre-pandemic, about 2,000 high school students on 350 teams compete in 25 high school regional events. The Shore Bowl regional competition for high school students in New Jersey tests their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology as well as enhances public understanding and stewardship of the oceans. High school teams of four to five students and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach, compete in fast-paced, head-to-head question-and-answer matches using a lock-out buzzer system. Teams also work together to solve longer Team Challenge Questions (TCQs). Any public, private, or parochial high school or sanctioned home school is welcome to form a team of students in grades 9 through 12 to compete in the virtual 2024 Shore Bowl on zoom all Saturday March 23, 2024, and for qualifying teams on Sunday March 24, 2024, afternoon. Competing students must be less than 20 years old on 3/23/2024 or receive a special waiver from the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB). Cost: $50/team All participants will receive swag sent to their coaches after the competition takes place. The winning team and runner-up team of the virtual Shore Bowl competition will earn trophies and prizes. People Making a Difference (PMD) is a nonprofit organization that promotes informed and responsible volunteerism by involving people in mostly tangible, hands-on tasks and science bowls that meet local needs and by assisting companies and charities in building successful community involvement programs that: Produce appreciable results while conserving recipients’ limited resources Educate volunteers about broader issues Bring people together to make a difference SIGN UP "Discovery is to see what everybody has seen and think what nobody has thought." Nobel Laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi (1957) Do Something Good - Make New Friends - Learn Something New 781-963-0373 info@pmd.org P.O. Box 120189, Boston, MA 02112-0189 Join PMD’s Email List Proudly powered by...