FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2010
Danielle McNamara
(510) 987-0230
Press Release
Bragging rights, prizes and some extra math practice are on the line for more than 100 students during the 17th Annual MESA Olympics this Saturday, April 17.
The event, held by Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) programs in the San Diego area, allows students to work in teams on multi-level calculator contests and a robotics challenge.
“This event helps students review material in a fun method just before midterms and finals,” said San Diego State MESA Engineering Program Director Theresa Garcia. San Diego State, San Diego City College, Southwestern College and Imperial Valley all host MESA programs and make up the San Diego MESA Alliance which sponsors the Olympics.
MESA students from middle school, high school, community college and four-year colleges will compete in subjects such as algebra, chemistry, calculus, physics, and circuits. The robotics teams will have to make the robot zigzag between obstacles or compete in a head to head competition to collect objects.
Industry partners and MESA alumni will judge the events.
MESA, an academic preparation program that serves 20,249 California pre-college, community college and university students who are educationally disadvantaged, is an awarding winning model with a high success rate. Eighty-one percent of MESA high school graduates statewide went directly to college after graduation compared to 47 percent of all California graduates. Fifty-seven percent of MESA students go on as math, science or engineering majors. In the San Diego area, MESA serves about 1,700 students from elementary school to community college and four-year college at five centers.
Considering that 17 of the top 20 fastest growing jobs in the country are in STEM fields and in 2001, more than 14,000 California jobs requiring science or engineering degrees went unfulfilled, successful programs such as MESA are an imperative.
Who: More than 100 middle school, high school, community college and four year college students interested in math, science and engineering
When: Saturday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: San Diego City College, 1313 Park Boulevard, San Diego.
For more information about the San Diego Alliance visit http://alliance.sdccmesa.com
For more information about MESA visit https://live-mesaucop.pantheonsite.io