Last modified: Monday, November 7, 2005
IU Bloomington to host 2006 National Science Olympiad
The Sallie Mae Fund to be presenting sponsor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 7, 2005
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana University announced today that it has been selected to host the National Science Olympiad Tournament -- the nation's most prestigious science competition for middle school and high school students. Attracting 3,000 of the country's brightest young scientists, the tournament will be held on IU's Bloomington campus May 20.
June McCormack, Sallie Mae's executive vice president, presented a $50,000 check on behalf of The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, to Curt Simic, president of the Indiana University Foundation, during a press conference today at Sallie Mae's offices in Fishers, Ind. Tournament mascot SciSal, representing the "Giants of Science" theme for 2006, accompanied Simic to the conference.
"As an organization committed to supporting academic achievement, The Sallie Mae Fund is pleased to help provide this tremendous experience for students across the country," McCormack said. "Students who participate in the National Science Olympiad not only learn science skills, but also develop a deep commitment to teamwork -- a combination that is the key to American's future success in the sciences."
The gift from The Sallie Mae Fund will provide operational support for the tournament and will endow two scholarships for the annual Science Olympiad Summer Fun Camp, hosted each summer on the IU Bloomington campus.
"This generous gift speaks volumes about the commitment of The Sallie Mae Fund to young people and to education," said Simic. "Science education is important because it leads to improvements in the quality of human life, and because it enables the U.S. to remain competitive in the world arena."
IUB Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said, "The Sallie Mae Fund and IU are working toward a common goal: to inspire and encourage young people in a world-class setting. IU is delighted to introduce these bright young scientists to all that IU has to offer."
Teams from schools across the nation compete in 36 separate events. The events encourage student learning and participation through hands-on, applied-science projects covering all scientific disciplines and correlating to national standards for science teaching at all levels.
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The Sallie Mae Fund a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission -- to increase access to a postsecondary education for America's students -- by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, preparing families for their investment and bridging the gap when no one else can. For more information visit www.salliemaefund.org.
The Indiana University Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to maximizing private resources for Indiana University and its eight campuses.
