College Park, Maryland, United States, February 25, 2010 — Great physics educators inspire the best high school minds in the United States and some of the best educators are listed, together with their students, at http://www.aapt.org/physicsteam/2010/info.cfm . The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) today announced the top students chosen to advance to the Semifinal round of U.S. Physics Team selection.  Approximately 3,200 students participated in this first phase of the selection process, the F_net=ma Exam, in January.  ECAE students Lucy Zhang, and Kris Stankiewicz, both 10th graders, were among the 300 students who advanced.  9th grader Heather Blundell, also turned in a stellar performance, narrowly missing the cut-off.  Congratulations to these talented individuals!  The students are members of the ECAE-sponsored West Metro Physics Team, coached by Research Physicist and  former Olympiad champion, Andrzej Stankiewicz.

A second exam is used as the basis for selection of the 24 members of the U.S. Physics Team. In May these students will travel from schools all over the United States, to the University of Maryland-College Park to the U.S. Physics Team Training Camp. There, they engage in nine days of intense studying, mystery lab, daily exams, and problem solving.  At the end of that training camp, five students and an alternate will be selected as the “Traveling Team” to represent the United States at the IPhO. In July, the Traveling Team and their coaches will attend a three day Mini Camp of intense laboratory work before moving on to the IPhO.

About the International Physics Olympiad:  AAPT began the program in 1986 to promote and demonstrate academic excellence. The International Physics Olympiad (IPHO) is a nine-day competition among pre-university students from more than 80 nations. The 2010 Olympiad will be held in Zagreb, Croatia, from July 17-25.

About the ECAE West Metro Physics Team:  The mixed 8th – 12th grade team meets weekly to review and discuss problem solving strategies involving physics related concepts.  Under the direction of coach Andrzej Stankiewicz, it is now in it’s fourth year, (second year of ECAE sponsorship), the team has produced 1 USPT finalist, 2 USPT semi-finalists, 3 Physics Bowl Regional Winners and two Second Place Team finishes in its short history.

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The ecae sponsored West Metro Physics Team has been meeting weekly since September, to train under Andrzej Stankiewicz, Research Physicist, and former Physics Olympiad Champion in Poland.  They will enter stage one of the 2010 U.S. Physics Team selection process by taking the AAPT (American Association of Physics Teacher) “F=ma” exam on January 26th.

AAPT is responsible for recruiting, selecting and training teams each year to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition. This selection process begins in early Januarywhen high schools register their students to participate in the F=ma exam. Each year approximately 400 top scorers on this first test advance to the quarter-final round of competition.

The semi-final exam is used as the basis for selection of the 24 members of the U.S. Physics Team. These students, from schools all over the United States, travel to the University of Maryland-College Park at the end of May for the annual U.S. Physics Team Training Camp. There they engage in nine days of intense studying, testing and problem solving.

To fulfill its mission of providing competitive opportunitities to all students regardless of school affiliation, ecae is also making this available to other students who are not on the team.  Interested students in grades 9-12 may download a copy of the registration form here:  uspt10_reg_form, print off a copy and mail in with payment, if they would like to participate in the exam on January 26th.

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Science Fair Mentoring Information Session:  Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 7:00 p.m. Room 350, Edina Community Center
Edina Center for Academic Excellence will once again offer a Science Fair Mentoring Program this coming Fall.  Students in grade 7-10 may apply to the program.  Over the course of 12 weeks, meeting every other week on Saturdays, students will brainstorm, select and develop their topic along with a methodology for doing their research.  Display and presentation techniques will be discussed and critiqued.  Students will be advised on how to submit their paperwork and registration for the Fair.  Students must submit an application to be accepted to the ecaae mentorship program.  The 2010 application is posted here:  science-fair-mentorship-application_2010 Please print off a copy and return it by October 16, 2009.  Plan to attend the information session to learn more about the program.

Science Fair participation is the first step middle school students can take towards building a network of scientist mentors and peers.  For many, it is the first time they come to appreciate science as an exciting activity worth pursuing with passion.

ecae Science Fair Students Experience Success
The 2009 Twin Cities Science Fair was particularly significant this year due to the involvement of Michael Cherkassky, Harvard-bound student and former Edina High School Senior.  Not only was Michael again a stand out winner in several categories of this year’s fair, but two first time ecae students who were mentored by Michael, along with Emily Cherkassky, Michael’s younger sister, also brought home significant awards.  The team of Alexandria Herr and Samuel Weiss, prepared a submission titled, Wood Density and its Relation to Caloric Output.  Their entry was selected for awards in multiple categories.  The two students gave much credit to Michael for inspiring them to try the Science Fair.  Many students are unaware of the great opportunities the national science fair program has to offer to students who are good at science, but often find classroom science unchallenging.  Science Fair participation is a highly organized and well-structured program that allows students to advance through yearly participation.  The culminating goal for many is the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair ISEF  awards, or ISEF.  It is the highest level of scientific achievement a high school student can attain through competition.

Top:  Alexandria Herr, Michael Cherkassky, Samuel Weiss 
Why participate in Science Fair?
Science Fair provides a challenging extracurricular academic opportunity for students who are good in science, to focus on an area of their own choosing.  In the middle school years, science instruction in the schools is often prescriptive and defined by state mandated standards.  Many bright students with a knack for science find themselves turned off and underchallenged by the assignments given in class.  Science Fair is a way to engage them, keep their interest and love of science alive.  A by-product of Science Fair participation are the benefits that accrue with every year of participation.  Of those students who at least submit their project application, the majority will go on to become veterans of Science Fair and return year after year.  This learning curve of experience benefits the students as they approach the higher stakes high school Science Fair which leads to the nationally and internationally renowned Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). For those students who truly want the chance to demonstrate a high level interest in science while still a high school student, middle school Science Fair participation is a must.

West Metro Physics Team Information Meeting
Students are welcome to join a wider cohort of area high school students to train and compete together on the West Metro Physics Team sponsored by the Edina Center for Academic Excellence.  The goal is to grow the team members in global competitiveness and individual success in the 2010 Physics Bowl and help students advance towards the prestigious United States Physics Team USPT Competition.

No prior physics knowledge is necessary although a strong math background is helpful.  Students in grades 8-11, who are advanced in math and would like to try competitive problem solving are invited to participate.  Team members will receive professional coaching and train two hours a week through the fall and winter beginning on September 22 and compete in the 2010 Physics Bowl in April.  The short span of this training program has already produced locally 1 USPT finalist, 2 USPT semi-finalists, 3 Physics Bowl Regional Winners and 2 Second Place Team finishes.

A Student-Parent Information Session will take place on Thursday, September 17, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Room 350 of the Edina Community Center, 5701 Normandale Road, Edina.  Coach Andrzej Stankiewicz will explain the coaching format, time commitment and competitions.  Sign ups will take place that evening.  If you missed the meeting, click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

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