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North Carolina YBTC state science champion, Lexi Kloeppel. Macon Middle School seventh grader Lexi Kloeppel, won first place in the Chemical Education Foundation's You Be The Chemist (YBTC) state science competition held in Charlotte on Saturday, March 27. She will receive an all expense paid trip to Philadelphia, Pa. to represent the state of North Carolina at the national competition on June 18.At the national competition she will be competing for more than $8,000 and numerous other prizes. The You Be The Chemist (YBTC) Challenge is a fun and innovative academic competition that engages fifth-eighth grade students in the science of chemistry. The Chemical Education Foundation (CEF) is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that is dedicated to enhancing grade K-8 students’ exposure to science by emphasizing the central role of chemistry in everyday life. The YBTC participants receive a study guide prior to the competition, but questions are not limited to the guide. Topics for this year’s competition included scientific method, measurement, matter, atomic structure, laboratory equipment, and safety. The YBTC challenge participants verbally answer numerous science questions. After participants answered more than 100 questions, Lexi Kloeppel emerged as the 2010 North Carolina YBTC Challenge Champion. At the national competition in Philadelphia, Lexi will be responsible for verbally answering questions from the state/local competition in addition to more advanced topics for the national level. The topics included in the national competition are solutions, acids, bases, pH, organic chemistry, and applications of chemistry in everyday life. In Philadelphia, students from grades 5-8 will come from around the country to participate in two days of activities, sight-seeing, and another academic YBTC challenge. |
