Dear Virginia Educators:

Now in its 11th year…

The Blue Crab Bowl — Virginia’s regional competition leading to the National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB®) — remains a popular tool for high school science teachers to engage motivated students.  The challenge of competition can stimulate and enrich student mastery of science in many marine-related subjects: biological, physical, chemical, earth and environmental sciences, marine engineering and technology, geography, maritime history, as well as current issues in marine research, economics and policy.  Moreover, the team structure of the Bowl encourages cooperative learning and problem-solving. 

Blue Crab Bowl Coordinators at Old Dominion University (ODU) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) encourage your participation.  This year, we continue our streamlined procedure allowing teams to express interest in competing.  Have a look at the procedure and deadlines.  Sixteen teams are selected by lottery.  Only the selected teams have to assemble the extensive registration paperwork.  Others remain on the waiting list, in order of their lottery drawing.

If you are a high school teacher and haven’t considered coaching a team, please think about what this investment offers your students.  Veteran coaches credit the National Ocean Sciences Bowl for sparking student interest in sciences and for helping to win administration support for courses in marine-related sciences and technology. 

The 2008 Blue Crab Bowl competition took place February 22-23 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.  

See the Press Release 

The National finals were held April 25-27 in Seward, Alaska.

A total of 22 schools from across Virginia submitted Statements of Intent, expressing interest in participating in Blue Crab Bowl 2008.  From the field of 24 possible teams, a lottery was used to select those to compete in Blue Crab Bowl 2008. Sixteen teams competed in the Blue Crab Bowl 2008.

Please consider Blue Crab Bowl participation in 2009. The invitation for Blue Crab Bowl 2009 will open in September 2008.  Visit again in August for more information on
2009 dates and deadlines

If you need documentation to present to your school administration or other supporters, you can download a BCB brochure.  NOSB’s extensive webpage will post the latest information about this national competition, its objectives and sponsoring agencies. Plus, NOSB offers resource lists and great tips on preparing a team for competition. And, NOSB participants - both students and coaches - are eligible for career-building opportunities offered by CORE.

Feel free to share this information with science teachers at your school.  We will be sending brochures to District Science Leaders and to Science Chairs at public and private high schools.  If you have questions about BCB, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to working with you and your team!

Sincerely,

Blue Crab Bowl Coordinators
Elizabeth Smith (ODU) and Carol Hopper Brill (VIMS)


Download the BCB 2008 brochure.

Download the BCB 2008 event program.

Use the on-line Contact Form form to reach the Bowl Coordinators.