CLARK COUNTY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS -- JOIN THE FUN!

WHEN: Saturday, February 28, 2009

WHERE: University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Thomas T. Beam Engineering Complex

How to Enter: If you are interested in participating in the 2009 Southern Nevada Student Model Bridge Building Contest, please read the 2009 rules; high, middle and elementary school specifications; and registration form. Watch for additional information in the Clark County School District Hotline, or contact Paul Matuska at pmatuska@lc.usbr.gov for details.

NEW for 2009!

• A Teacher's Workshop will be held Wednesday, January 14, 2009 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at UNLV. See flyer for more information.
  
  
• You can pick up your bridge kits at one of 2 locations -- one is east of Boulder Highway between Tropicana and Flamingo; the other is in the northwest just off U.S. 95 north of Lake Mead Blvd. See the registration form for additional information.
  
  
• Middle school competitors will be using the Elementary specifications this year. Both sets of specifications have changed from last year, so be sure to read them over carefully.

The Southern Nevada Annual Student Model Bridge Building Contest is a regional program and interactive activity that allows students to apply the science and math lessons of the classroom to a hands-on project. The regional contest, which is held each March, enhances the appeal of engineering careers to students and begins establishing their relationships with the professional community.

Using materials from an official kit, students design and construct a small wooden bridge according to specifications (separate ones for elementary, middle, and high school students).

During the contest, each bridge is weighed, tested to failure, and scored by its efficiency, which is the carried load divided by the bridge's weight. Students compete individually and for school prizes in three divisions -- elementary, middle school, and high school -- with prizes and trophies awarded to students in each division who design, build and test the model bridge with the highest efficiency.

The top two high school finishers from each region are eligible to advance to the International Contest. For more information, see the International Bridge Contest website.

SOUTHERN NEVADA TEACHERS: Annually, nearly 1,500 students from 8 high schools, 10 middle schools and 30 elementary schools in southern Nevada participate in the regional contest. If you would like assistance in getting a program started in your school, or have any questions about past or future competitions, e-mail pmatuska@lc.usbr.gov. Please encourage your students to participate! It is an exciting and rewarding experience for them, and for the coaches too.

The construction and testing of model bridges promotes the study and application of fundamental principles of physics and engineering and also helps students develop "hands-on" skills through bridge construction. By participating in the annual contest, students experience the life of an engineer, designing structures to a set of specifications and seeing them perform their function. They are also provided with an academically-oriented classroom or extracurricular activity which is recognized school-wide.