CSC To Host 30th Annual Academic Challenge
Carl Sandburg College will host the 30th annual Worldwide Youth in Science & Engineering (WYSE) Academic Challenge on Thursday, Feb. 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the CSC Theatre in Building F on the Main Campus. Participants for the event are juniors and seniors from area high schools.
"This is a great chance for the best and brightest high school students to show off their academic skills," said Tony Paris, regional site coordinator for the event and mathematics coordinator/assistant professor of mathematics at CSC.
Each student will take exams in two categories. Testing subjects include biology, chemistry, computers, English, engineering graphics, math and physics. Lunch will be provided to participants along with a presentation by Dr. Rose McConnell, chairperson of Department of Chemistry at Western Illinois University. The awards ceremony will begin at 1:15 p.m. There will also be a student drawing for an iPod nano.
The top three finishers in each category will receive awards, and the top two will compete in the WYSE sectional competition on Monday, March 14, at Knox College in Galesburg. Each high school who enters a team of at least six student will receive a talent grant for the next academic year which is a full-tuition scholarship for a full-time student (enrolled in 12-18 credit hours) at CSC. This scholarship can also be applied to dual-credit classes tuition while still in high school in which the remainder of the grant can be applied if the student enrolls full-time and maintains a 2.75 GPA. In this situation, the grant may be renewed for one more succeeding academic year. Additionally, each school will also receive three talent grants (equivalent to full tuition for 12-18 credit hours) for subject winners in math, chemistry and English.
Individual winners will be recognized in each category, as well as schools will be recognized within their respective divisions according to enrollment size. Division 300 includes Alwood, Bushnell-Prairie City, ROWVA, Spoon River Valley, and United. Division 700 includes Knoxville, Farmington, Monmouth-Roseville, Rockridge and Sherrard. Galesburg High School is in the 1500 division. One student will be recognized as the overall individual champion.