Team Oregon 2011 Fun Facts

• Team Oregon included 29 students presenting 25 projects at Intel ISEF. They were selected from the 921 high school students who participated system-wide.
• Team Oregon won 10 Grand Awards and 18 Special Awards. Fourteen out of 25, or 56% of Team OR projects received Special Awards or Grand Awards. Team OR brought home an accumulated prize total of $56,400 plus the value of three all expenses paid trips to Europe.
• Students from 10 different Oregon schools were winners. Five of the 8 fairs in the Northwest Science Expo System sent projects to ISEF that won awards.

About NWSES

The Northwest Science Exposition System (NWSES) is a consortium of student science, math, and engineering project competitions formed in the summer of 2003. NWSES is the source of Team Oregon, the students chosen to represent Oregon at the Intel International Science and Egnineering Fair each year. The system is comprised of 7 regional fairs and the state fair, the Intel Northwest Science Expo. NWSES is affiliated with the Intel ISEF, the world's largest international pre-college science competition, which is a program of the Society for Science and the Public. The Center for Science Education at Portland State University administers the NWSES by providing leadership and support.

Students compete in 17 categories encompassing all the scientific disciplines, engineering, computer science and mathematics. Participation comes from all parts of Oregon and from several schools in Clark County, Washington.

Our Mission

The mission of the NWSES is to develop scientific talent and promote science literacy in Oregon students by providing a structure and a venue for presenting high quality student research. The NWSES encourages students to learn science, engineering and math by engaging in the activities that characterize these endeavors.

Encouraging girls, economically disadvantaged youth, and underrepresented minorities in the careers of science, technology, engineering or math is important to NWSES. In 2009 we served 739 high school and 503 middle school students, exactly half of which were female. In 2011, of the 1,501 total high school and middle school students systemwide, 49% were female and 43% were male (12% did not report their gender). NWSES works closely with the PSU Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation to increase underrepresented minorities' participation in system fairs.

We have consistent participation from schools with high percentages of students on free and reduced lunch programs. Goals of the NWSES are to increase access to ISEF-affiliated fairs statewide and to provide support for teachers and students in their research activities, through both financial contributions and mentorship programs.

Sponsors are needed to support Team Oregon, the participants and alternates who qualify to attend the Intel ISEF each year. For each member of Team Oregon we aim to provide travel and lodging, meal allowances, shipping of project display boards, a Team Oregon dinner during Intel ISEF week, and the "Go for the Au" t-shirts that all Team Oregon members receive.

For information on NWSES, contact:
Linda H. Mantel
Executive Director, NWSES
Center for Science Education (http://cse.pdx.edu)
Portland State University
PO Box 751
Portland, OR 97207-0751
503-725-4221
mantelh@pdx.edu