High School Microgravity Competition

According to 2004 WASL results, the Seattle School District is performing under par compared to the state average. The math and science scores are lower and there are more families on free or reduced lunches. Our club intends to help change this. SEDS-UW is hosting a microgravity experiment competition among four public or very small Seattle high schools: Cleveland High School, South Lake High School, Nathan Hale High School, and Sealth High School. The majority of these high schools are the sources for Seattle's lower WASL performance. Click on the link below for more information.

WASL Results (pdf)
WASL Comparison and Analysis (excel file)

We are offering a team of four students and their teacher the chance to build and fly their own microgravity experiment on Zero Gravity Corporation's Boeing 727. The winner of the contest will receive the funds to build their experiment, mentorship's with college students, and of course a flight to St. Louis where the students and teacher will perform their experiment. All team members are required to be 15 years of age or older.

One team from each school can submit a proposal. The proposals will be judged by the SEDS-UW President and Robert Breidenthal, a professor in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at the University of Washington. The high school proposal deadline is in early February and the actual flight will be in conjunction with the college experiment on April 8th, 2006.

This project is the groundbreaking year of a planned annual scientific competition between Seattle public high schools in the future. The engaging project will increase math and science interest in these schools, and in turn raise the WASL scores. Another long term result of this program is the creation of a SEDS chapter at the winning high school.