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For the past two years, several teams of high school students from across Georgia have participated in the Junior Engineering Technical Society’s annual TEAMS competition hosted by the University of Georgia in February.

This year, first-time participating high schools have an opportunity to earn one of three Northrop Grumman scholarships to cover $125 registration fees for the daylong learning experience on the UGA campus simply by registering and meeting a set of criteria.

TEAMS, which stands for Tests of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics and Science, brings math and science to life for students, fostering creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving, said John Mativo, an assistant professor in the College of Education’s department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations, and a member of the  UGA Faculty of Engineering who is co-directing the competition.

The competition features high school students (grades 9-12) participating in teams of four to eight members, using real-world applications of math and science to solve some of today’s greatest engineering challenges. The TEAMS 2011 theme is “Smarter Energy. Cleaner Planet.” There are two parts: a 90-minute, 80 multiple choice question session and a 90-minute, open-ended, four-question session.

First-time participating teams seeking one of the Northrop Gruman Scholarships are required to register for the competition through the JETS-TEAMS website: www.jets.org/teams/ and indicating that your host is UGA.  On the day of competition, your school will be reimbursed the registration cost of $125 for your team if you meet the criteria below and you were notified as one of the three finalists.

1.      This would be your first time to bring your school team for competition (new school).
2.      You are a new club in your school, such as, Engineering/Science club.
3.      Distance from UGA.

To earn a scholarship: Teams must write a paragraph of about 500 words on why you should be considered for the Northrop Grumman Scholarship.  The application should be emailed to: Dr. John M Mativo at jmativo@uga.edu by Jan. 10, 2011.  You will be notified by January 20 if you were awarded the scholarship.

The 2011 competition, to be held on  February 23,  benefits students by showing them why math and science matters in the real world. Its academic rigor challenges students with new academic topics and presents new ideas. In addition, participants get inside information about college scholarship and could win great prizes, said Mativo.

Last year, participating teams from Northside High School, Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology, The Academy of Richmond County, Cross Creek High School, Hephzibah High School and Grayson High School brought 64 students for competition.

Mativo is co-directing the competition with Chi Thai, an associate professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering, and member of the faculty of engineering; and assisted by Nancy Vandergrift, a program coordinator with the UGA Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics initiative.

More than 14,000 students across the country participate annually in TEAMS competitions. Questions are aligned with national education standards. UGA is one of two sites hosting the competition in Georgia. The other site is at the Atlanta University Center.

TEAMS competition site sponsors include: Harvard University, Itasca Community College, National Education Partnership Alliance, Shell and Starbucks.