When cool lab demonstrations mix with fun facts, Chemistry can
be a fascinating science. Just ask any Council
Rock student participating in the You Be The Chemist (YBTC) Challenge.®
On February 12th, elementary and middle school
students participated in the first round of the YBTC Challenge at Council Rock
North high school. The YBTC is
a nationwide, interactive academic competition that teaches students in grades
5-8 about important chemistry concepts, scientific discoveries, and
laboratory safety.
This is Council Rock’s first year participating in the
competition and they came to play. Renee
Devlin, District Science Coordinator for Council Rock, along with a team of
volunteers, headed up the event. According
to Biology and Astronomy student teacher, Justin Kapusta, there was an overwhelming
response for participants. The district had
to limit participation to 100 students after reaching that number almost
immediately! About 50 students took the
qualifying test in round one and 10 students moved on to Round 2 which will be
held on March 6th at the Dow Chemical facility in Spring House,
PA.
The outstanding students moving on, both male and female, represent
diverse backgrounds; two 5th graders, five 6th graders and two 7th graders. These students from Sol Feinstone Elementary,
Goodnoe Elementary, Churchville Elementary, Holland Elementary, Rolling Hills
Elementary, Newtown Middle School, Holland Middle School, and Richboro Middle
School will now face off against other area districts.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this fantastic enrichment
experience,” says Kapusta. My role in
assisting Renee Devlin quickly evolved, almost overnight. I became the main contact for participants
and their parents, set up the WikiSpace (website) and ran every event with the
help of our terrific S.A.G.E. volunteers, high school volunteers, Sal Colosi,
Nancy Tillery, Dr. Sandra Kiselica, and many others. The YBTC Challenge is great because it
introduces younger children to a more advanced science subject.”
The inaugural YBTC Challenge at Council Rock was an
overwhelming success. From all of us at
Senior Adults for Greater Education, congratulations to all participants and good
luck on March 6th. We look
forward to more good news!
