The Science Bowl team from Shahala Middle School in Vancouver, Wash., makes another trip back east to try and capture first place at the National Science Bowl competition held in Chevy Chase, Md. Shahala finished in second place at last year's national middle school competition.

The Science Bowl squad from Mountain View High School, also located in Vancouver, Wash., makes its first trip to the National Science Bowl since back-to-back trips in 2008 and 2009.

Both teams punched their tickets to the national competition by winning the Regional Science Bowl sponsored by the Bonneville Power Administration earlier this year.

From April 26 through April 30, the U.S. Department of Energy will host 69 high school and 44 middle school teams as they compete for championship titles at the 22nd annual National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. Since January, nearly 14,000 students have competed in regional tournaments in which teams of four or five students were tested via a fast-paced Jeopardy-style format on a range of science-related topics including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, astronomy and math.

"Congratulations to the finalists of our 22nd annual science bowl, some of America's future leaders in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. We look forward to seeing them showcase their knowledge during the final competitions," said Energy Secretary Chu. "Through the National Science Bowl, we are challenging the next generation to forge new advances in science and math and ensure that America stays competitive in a rapidly advancing world."

From Thursday, April 26 through Monday, April 30, the 69 high school teams and 44 middle school teams will face off in the National Finals and will participate in a variety of activities, including the Lithium-Ion Battery-Powered Model Car Race for middle school students and hands-on science experiments for high school students.

On Saturday, April 28, the middle school question and answer competition begins at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md. On Sunday, April 29, the high school question and answer competition begins, while the middle school teams will be at the Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Md., racing model Lithium-Ion battery-powered cars that they have designed and built. On Monday, April 30, high school and middle school championship rounds will be held in the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Secretary Chu will judge the high school championship round, lead a question and answer session with the students, and present awards at the ceremony to follow. The live webcast of Monday's events can be seen at this site: mms://wm.streamingmediahosting.com/netl-live-1.

The Energy Department created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. More than 200,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 22 year history, and it is the Nation's largest science competition. Most of the teams are coached by teachers from the students' schools and spend several months preparing for the regional competitions. The regional tournaments, which host 15-50 teams, are sponsored by Federal agencies, national laboratories, institutions of education, and non-profit organizations.