Liberty to Host TEAMS Engineering Competition
What: Technology Student Association‘s TEAMS Engineering Competition.
When: Monday, February 13, 2012
Where: Liberty University’s Club Pavilion of William’s Stadium
Host: Liberty University’s School of Engineering and Computational Sciences
The Liberty University (LU) School of Engineering and Computational Sciences (SECS) will host the TSA-TEAMS engineering competition on Monday, February 13, 2012 in the Club Pavilion of Williams Stadium overlooking the football field (see http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=6506). Parking will be available. This annual, theme-based competition gives students in grades 9-12 an opportunity to use the practical applications of math and science to answer engineering questions about everyday world challenges. The 2012 theme is “Engineering Healthier Lives” where students will tackle engineering problems related to healthcare and medicine.
TEAMS is an academic “pencil & paper” competition of two 90-minute timed challenges for students to use the real-world applications of math and science. Students discuss questions among themselves and provide their best response collectively (open-book, open-note, open discussion format). This event is fun since no previous knowledge, skill or preparation is required. (However, previous competition sets are available so students and coaches can practice to help identify the strength and skills of the team, and TSA suggests that coaches and students meet three to four times before the competition.)
The event is open to teams of 4 – 8 high school students, and includes all high school age students from public, private, and Christian high schools, home schools and organizations directed at high school age youth. We invite all regional high school and home schooled students to participate! Each team is required to have one adult to serve as the Coach (who may coach multiple teams). There are two competition levels (9th/10th grade; 11th/12th grade) with questions posed according to age group. There are also separate competition divisions based on 12th grade enrollment or Selective admission. There are two additional and separate competition divisions for Home Schools and Groups (e.g., YMCA, Boy/Girl Scouts). The new Technology Student Association (TSA)-TEAMS website contains the rules for the competition ( http://teams.tsaweb.org/teams/index.html ).
The planned schedule for the event is as follows:
9:15 – 9:45 am Arrival & Check-in; Meet & Greet; breakfast snacks
9:45 – 10:00 am Welcome and competition instructions
10:00 – 11:30 am Part 1 (80 multiple choice questions); Coaches meeting
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch (provided by SECS)
12:30 – 2:00 pm Part 2 (8 open-ended questions)
2:00 – 2:30 pm Survey, awards and door prizes
2:30 pm Dismissal
Awards will be presented at the event to teams with the highest Part 1 scores, which will be used to determine state rankings and awards. Part 2 is scored by TSA and used in combination with Part 1 to determine national rankings. The registration fee is $125 per team (i.e., $15.62 – $31.25 per student) through 11/30. Registration fees increase to $150 per team between 12/1 and 1/31, and $175 thereafter. All participating students will receive certificates and a chance to win various door prizes.
The TEAM challenge provides an excellent STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) activity in which to compete against other students in the state and across the nation. Overall, 18 teams competed in Virginia and 1,229 teams competed nationally in last year’s event. (Each school that participated in the Liberty event last year had one of its teams earn a first place score within its level and division.) More information about TEAMS and the competition can be found at their website, along with results from previous years. Registration is now open at the TSA-TEAMS website and will continue until Monday, February 6, 2012. Please contact SECS at (434) 592-7150 or vrowe2 [at] liberty [dot] edu with any questions or to request more information.
