G1. The Chicago Regional competitions includes an academic competition, a Fuel Cell car competition, and solar car race. The team with the best average rank for both the academic , and the Fuel Cell car competition will be the regional representative, unless fewer than 4 team members are able to attend the National competition.
G2. The Chicago Regional Academic competition will have Science Bowl questions provided by the DOE.
G3. Teams at the Regional Middle School Science Bowl represent their schools, and communities. Team members who do not follow the guidelines for appropriate conduct and good sportsmanship during either Regional competition may be disqualified from the competition.
Eligibility Rules
G4. To be eligible for the Chicago Regional Academic competition, or the National competition, competing team must consist of four student members. Student must be enrolled for the current school year in grades six, seven, or eight at the team's school. Teams of home school students ages 11-14 also are welcome to participate. Teams are allowed to have one alternate member, however only 4 students at a time compete in the Academic competition, and in the even that your team is the Regional winner, only 4 students will be invited to the Nationals.
G5. No school may compete in more than one regional competition. However, schools may participate in a regional competition that is not their home state, if they so desire.
Regional winners become representatives at the National Competition
The DOE has selected 20 regional competitions to provide teams for the National Middle School Science Bowl. Each regional competition may send only one winning team to the National Middle School Science Bowl.
Of the teams participating in the Chicago Regional Academic and Fuel Cell competitions, the team with the best average rank will represent the region at the National Middle School Science Bowl on June 17-20, in Golden, Colorado, unless fewer than 4 team members are able to attend that competition.
By the 5 PM on May 8th, the team's coach is required to inform the Regional coordinator of its availability to participate at the National event, and provide a list of team members and coaches who will be attending. All Regional representative teams must arrive and depart on the designated dates and be in attendance throughout the duration of the National Middle School Science Bowl weekend. If fewer than four members of the winning regional team are able to participate at all National activities, then the second place team will replace them. Please be advised that there will be no exceptions to this rule other than unanticipated medical emergencies. Any waiver must be approved by the National Science Bowl Coordinator.
Travel arrangements for the regional winning teams will be made by the Department of Energy. The DOE will not reimburse regional winners who make their own travel arrangements.
To be eligible for the National Middle School Science Bowl, a student must have participated in both the Regional Academic and Fuel Cell Car events, as team member or alternate on the team that was selected as the Chicago Regional representative.
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