MADISON – Science buffs, or any student interested in the discipline, will square off for the Bob Jones Science Challenge on April 13.

The challenge is an exciting in-person, district-wide event for students in grades 3-5 with a technical aptitude for biology, physics and chemistry. Bob Jones Science Academy is hosting the event.

For each grade, the event includes a 30-minute, 30-question test, followed by contests, labs and activities. Winners will receive prizes, medals, recognition on the Science Challenge website and an invitation to participate in the 2024-2025 Science Academy program.

For 2024, the Bob Jones Science Challenge will be free due to a generous sponsorship from i3 Cares.

The challenge’s test measures a student’s accomplishment in science. In multiple-choice format, the test will ask 30 questions and three open-ended tiebreakers.

For the test, a practice page is available on the challenge website. Students should bring a pencil and an eraser, but calculators are prohibited.

For the poster contest, students will create their designs at home and bring their artwork to the challenge. On the poster, students will spell out “SCIENCE CHALLENGE” with creative, colorful science-themed letters.

In another at-home creation, students will design cartoons for a contest. Students should draw an original cartoon that explains one of the following concepts: circulatory system, chemical bonding, genetics or Newton’s Laws of Motion.

The comic must fit on one 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper. Entrants cannot copy from the Internet.

Several labs and workshops will be available to contestants, including a kit from HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and a Stethoscope/Blood Pressure Lab. Students also can participate in a Chemistry Cake Walk, Element Egg Hunt and Microscope Lab.

All contestants will receive free snacks. Bob Jones students will coordinate the activities at the challenge.

To register, visit forms.gle/6nn3mFSk32oVXAzy6.

Participating in the Bob Jones Science Challenge can excite students about science while also preparing them to successfully compete in science competitions at the middle-school and high-school levels. These valuable opportunities allow a child to learn about science outside of school and develop an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM careers, according to organizers.

The challenge’s instructors and volunteers are dedicated to promoting a child’s success in science. The organizers believe that goal is in reach by introducing scientific concepts in chemistry, physics and biology at a younger age.

Founders of the challenge are Neha Chopade, Puja Chopade and Kathryn Teare.

For more information, email bjhsscienceacademy@gmail.com, or visit sites.google.com/view/bjhsscience.