The Maryland Regional Science Bowl competition is part of a National Science Competition sponsored by the Department of Energy to promote interest in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) for middle and high school levels of education. Middle Schools from Maryland and Pennsylvania fielded 11 teams that chose to compete in the Maryland Regional Science Bowl held on 15 March, in Mitchellville, Md. at the Ernest Just Middle School. The Science Bowl competition tests team abilities in academic knowledge using a format similar to the show ‘‘It’s Academic,” and a ‘‘hands-on” competition where each team builds and races a hydrogen fuel cell car. Takoma Park Middle School won first place and will go on to represent the Maryland⁄Mid-Atlantic region at the National Middle School Science Bowl Competition to be held in Denver, Colo. on June 19-22. East Pennsboro Middle School of Enola, Pa., which fielded three separate teams, won the hydrogen fuel cell car portion of the race.

The Chief of Naval Operations, Naval Sea Systems Command, and the NAVSEA warfare centers diversity programs established a partnership with the Patriots Technology Training Center, headed by Thurman Jones and located in Prince Georges County, Md. The Patriots Technology Training Center (PTTC) is a non-profit organization that provides various venues to expose minority and disadvantaged students to technology thereby encouraging them to take science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses in school (http:⁄⁄www.patriots-ttc.org⁄index2.html).

Marc Magdinec, a warfare center executive for surface warfare, and LaCamera worked in conjunction with volunteers from Indian Head and Dahlgren divisions with the PTTC organization last year to develop a three-day module on rocketry, robotics and ballistics⁄structures for their 2007 summer camp which was well received by the students attending. This partnership has developed good will for the Navy presence in the D.C. metro area and is aligned to the CNO’s strategic objectives for diversity and community outreach.

LaCamera stated, ‘‘Our role has been to leverage our tremendous workforce here in the D.C. area to assist in providing key support of PTTC’s science, math and engineering related activities in hopes of serving the diverse population of Prince Georges County, Md. middle and high school children”. He added ‘‘...We hope to interest them in pursuing higher education in these fields and one day joining our Navy team. Marc Magdinec and I both feel this is a great partnership and have joined with NAVSEA and OPNAV diversity offices to see it grow and continue into the future.”

This event underscores strong collaboration between NAVSEA, the WCE Aviation Systems, WCE Surface Warfare and the greater D.C. area WFC division organizations involved. The story on the larger partnership with PTTC is one supported by many events throughout the year. ‘‘I have been greatly pleased by the support and response from all three sites in the D.C. area for the PTTC hosted Science Bowl and look forward to continued support for this and other future events” said LaCamera.