San Diego—The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center is gearing up to host another year of the annual SciTech Challenge, a special engineering challenge and STEM event specifically for girls.

The general public is invited to attend the Finale Competition of the SciTech Challenge, taking place in the William & Grayson Boehm Community Forum of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, on Saturday, March 19, from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. The competition is accessible through the Fleet visitor galleries, entering through Cellular Journey. Regular Fleet admission rates apply.

SciTech is a recurring program by the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Each year the Fleet provides five local elementary schools with the SciTech after-school STEM club for girls. The program is geared towards building STEM confidence and literacy for girls with engaging hands-on projects. The program culminates in the SciTech Challenge in which girls work in teams to complete an engineering challenge. The Finale Competition for the SciTech Challenge is held each year at the Fleet Science Center.

For this year's SciTech Challenge, girls from the after-school program have designed devices for an earth-based prototype to test launch scientific instruments from a spacecraft to safely land on a simulated asteroid. This competition will be viewable to the public, with community scientists participating as judges. After the competition, the Fleet welcomes four local San Diego scientists to the exhibit gallery to meet with visitor and participants of the SciTech Challenge. The scientists will be available from noon to 3 p.m. to share their research and enthusiasm for science with activities and discussions based on their area of expertise.

The media is welcome to cover the final SciTech Challenge event. The event promises to be an exciting day of learning for young girls interested in engineering and STEM. Visuals will include a simulated asteroid, student-created launch devices made from wood or PVC and cushioned "landing packets" to protect the raw eggs that will be launched as "spacecrafts" toward the asteroid. Representatives from the Fleet will be available for interview.

Fleet representatives will also be able to talk about other Fleet science and engineering programs--such as Fleet STEAM Spring Camps and Computer Programming Spring Camps--for parents who are interested in getting their kids involved in further science learning.  

SciTech is sponsored by Time Warner Cable, Motorola Solutions Foundation, The Rice Family Foundation, ResMed Foundation and United Technologies Corporation Aerospace Systems.

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To schedule an interview or media appearance, please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org. 

WHEN:          Saturday, March 19, from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:        Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

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MORE INFO:

Event page for the SciTech Challenge: 

http://www.rhfleet.org/events/tech-challenge

The SciTech program by the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center:

http://www.rhfleet.org/scitech

A 30 second Time Warner Cable promo video about the SciTech program:

https://vimeo.com/109267182

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About SciTech

SciTech is an after-school program developed by the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center for fourth through sixth grade girls at San Diego elementary schools. The girls meet two hours per week to engage in hands-on science investigations on everything from solar car design to 3D computer modeling of rocket ships. Through project-based learning, the girls make concrete connections to everyday life while developing creative thinking and problem-solving skills that they will use throughout their lives.

http://www.rhfleet.org/scitech