Compete in the 2025 virtual Sponge Bowl!
WHEN
- Saturday 2/08/2025 - Sunday 2/09/2025, all teams all Saturday;elim rnds Sunday afternoon
-
Sign up by 12/13/2024
WHAT
Fun and engaging virtual, head-to-head ocean sciences competition for high school students living in states without National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) regional bowls taking place in 2025. This bowl will feature a keynote address by NOSB-Blue-Lobster-Bowl alumna Dr. Elizabeth Sibert, an Assistant Scientist in Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Geology & Geophysics Department, who studies how marine ecosystems respond to global change.
The Sponge Bowl champion will earn the opportunity to compete against all of the other regional champions in a virtual, head-to-head national Finals hosted by NOSB with support by PMD on May 17 & 18, 2025.
The Sponge Bowl is hosted by People Making a Difference (PMD), long-time host of the Blue Lobster Bowl (MA+), 2024 Bay Scallop (NY) & Shore (NJ) Bowls, and 2021 & 2022 Quahog Bowl (CT&RI), as well as the 2023 & 2024 Maine High School Science Bowl and 2023 Alumni Ocean Sciences Invitational (AOSI).
WHERE
Virtual/Zoom
Note: We only share zoom links, schedules, and other details with registered teams and volunteers via google sheets since we cannot accommodate any observers/audience members or walk-ins, i.e., unregistered teams or volunteers.
WHY
The NOSB's focus on ocean science education is important. Humans rely on a healthy ocean for oxygen, resources, jobs, and more. Our future leaders must be knowledgeable about ocean issues.
The ocean is an ideal interdisciplinary teaching tool for science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) that puts study in a real-world context. Working in the ocean environment poses challenges that push the innovation, engineering, and technology development needed in our workforce. However, ocean science is not a course generally offered at the high school level. The NOSB is one of the only ways students gain exposure to all of ocean science and related careers as they are beginning to chart their course in life.
Science bowls provide high school students with exciting opportunities to test their knowledge and understanding and to practice working together as a team to solve problems.
The 2025 virtual Sponge Bowl has been created to provide competition opportunities for high school students living in states without regional bowls due to the pandemic and other challenges.
National Ocean Scholar Program
As part of the NOSB's continuing effort to recognize individual achievement, NOSB offers the National Ocean Scholar Program, awarding scholarships for tuition assistance to NOSB students who have an interest in pursuing an ocean or environmental science major in their first year of post-high school education. All applicants for this scholarship program must have competed in a regional NOSB competition at least once during their high school careers.
Learn about additional criteria and deadline at https://nosb.org/scholarships
HOW
To apply to compete in this 2025 virtual bowl, coaches must first complete the NOSB Displaced Team Interest Form Then when directed by NOSB, coaches should complete a separate Team Intent Form for each one of a high school's A and (optional) B teams. One form and the $60 registration fee per team must be emailed/POSTMARKED by Friday, December 13, 2024 (so that they are received by 12/20/2024). Make checks payable to "People Making a Difference," and send one check per team with form(s) to
Lori Tsuruda/PMD
P.O. Box 120189
Boston, MA 02112-0189
OR complete and email the credit card payment form (page 3 of Team Intent PDF) to Ltsuruda at gmail dot com
OR use PayPal to send payment to [email protected], specifying school name, complete school address, and team A or B.
Accounts payable folks can download PMD's Form W-9 if they need it.
Multiple teams from the same school can combine their forms inside one envelope, but we encourage you to make separate checks/transactions/payments for each team in case of wait-listing/refunds. Hardcopy forms and check payments must be received no later than 12/20/2024.
If we have more interested teams than we can accommodate, we will accept one team (the "A Team") from every school that has applied. If sufficient space remains, we will then accept all secondary teams ("B Teams"). If we cannot accommodate all of the teams in a class (A or B), we will determine competing schools from that class by random drawing of teams whose completed intent forms and checks are received by the 12/20/2024 deadline.
Coaches will be notified of their respective teams' statuses (competing or wait-listed** to compete in case there are cancellations) via email on December 21, 2024.
On 12/21/2024, coaches will also receive the PDF forms and data entry link for registrations and consents due by 11:59pm ET on 1/17/2025 online and via email.
**We strongly encourage coaches of waitlisted teams to register students online and for coaches and parents/guardians to complete their online consents also by the deadline, and to prepare to compete fully in case there are last-minute cancellations.
Registration Summary
1. Coach submits NOSB Displaced Team Interest Form.
2. NOSB give approval for a coach to submit a completed Sponge Bowl Team Intent form AND $60/team for his/her team, to be emailed/postmarked by 12/13/2024 and/or received by 12/20/2024 at the USPS post office box.
3. Regional Coordinator notifies the coaches of accepted and wait-listed teams and provides student and coach PDF forms and data entry links on 12/21/2024.
4. Coach emails zipped, completed consents for each team member, (optional)assistant coach, and self for their team by 1/17/2025 to Ltsuruda at gmail dot com AND enters required data online in NOSB's google form.
COST
$60 registration fee per team paid by check* payable to "People Making a Difference" must be sent to PMD, P.O. Box 120189, Boston, MA 02112-0189, postmarked by Friday 12/13/2024. Specify team A or B. If using a personal check, please specify the school name AND team A or B.
*Alternatively, payment can be made via PayPal to [email protected] (Remember to provide your school name, complete address, and team A or B!)
OR via credit card by emailing the completed form to Ltsuruda at gmail dot com by 12/13/2024. Credit card receipts will be automatically emailed to coaches.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS
Coaches of teams that must cancel their participation should do so as soon as possible by emailing Ltsuruda at gmail dot com. If a coach cancels their team's participation by 12/13/24, their team's registration fee will be refunded minus $6 for fees and handling. No registration fee refunds can be made after the 12/13/24 deadline, if a coach fails to complete the required online registrations and consents and provide the zipped and completed forms for all students and coaches by 1/17/25, and/or any team member does not participate in all of its 2/8&9/25 assigned competition matches.
RESOURCES
- 2025 Virtual Sponge Bowl Rules-updated 10/20/24
- Forming a Team
- Sample Questions & Study Resources-updated 10/15/24
Zoom Office Hours, 3-4pm ET
Coaches are invited to have their questions answered on Fridays 1/3-24/2025. Zoom link will be provided to registered coaches.
If unavailable during office hours, coaches should call PMD's office at *82,1-781-963-0373 and provide their availability and preferred contact method.
WHO
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is an academic competition and program that addresses a national gap in environmental and earth sciences in public education by introducing high school students to and engaging them in ocean science, preparing them for ocean science-related and other STEM careers, and helping them become knowledgeable citizens and environmental stewards.Pre-pandemic, about 2,000 high school students on 350 teams compete in 25 high school regional events.
The Virtual Sponge Bowl regional competition for high school students in states without regional bowls tests their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology as well as enhances public understanding and stewardship of the oceans.
High school teams of four to five students and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach, compete in fast-paced, head-to-head question-and-answer matches using a lock-out buzzer system. Teams also work together to solve longer Team Challenge Questions (TCQs).
Any public, private, or parochial high school or sanctioned home school is welcome to form a team of students in grades 9 through 12 to compete in the 2025 virtual Sponge Bowl on zoom all Saturday February 8, 2025, and for qualifying teams on Sunday February 9, 2025, afternoon.
Competing students must be less than 20 years old on 2/8/2025 or receive a special waiver from the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB).
Cost: $60/team
All participants will receive swag sent to their coaches after the competition takes place.
The winning team and runner-up team of the virtual Sponge Bowl competition will earn trophies. The winning team will be eligible to compete in the 2025 NOSB National Finals competition.
Teams Registered to Compete: alphabetically, as of 1/18
- Brandeis High School (TX)
- Greenhills School A & B (MI)
- The Lemon Sharks (CT, RI & NY)
- Livingston High School (NJ)
- Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) A & B (NJ)
- Midwood High School A & B (NY)
- Mt. Sinai High School (NY)
- Stuyvesant High School (NY)
- Urban Suburban Science Team (NY)
People Making a Difference (PMD) is a nonprofit organization that promotes informed and responsible volunteerism by involving people in mostly tangible, hands-on tasks and science bowls that meet local needs and by assisting companies and charities in building successful community involvement programs that:
- Produce appreciable results while conserving recipients' limited resources
- Educate volunteers about broader issues
- Bring people together to make a difference
"Be an information sponge. Absorb the knowledge. Soak in the insight!"
Futurist Jim Carroll
"SpongeBob lives at the bottom of the sea, but he brings a lot of great stuff to the surface..... I do think that the attitude of the show is about tolerance. Everybody is different, and the show embraces that. The character SpongeBob is an oddball. He's kind of weird, but he's kind of special."
Stephen Hillenburg