April, 2014 – What Floats your Boat?
WHAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT?
South Florida Science Center and Aquarium announces new ‘Float it’ competition to annual Drop it, Build it
(West Palm Beach, Fla.) –The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium wants to know, as it prepares for its 28th Annual Drop it, Build it, Float it, Launch it, Thrill it engineering competition. ‘Float it’ will be new this year, replacing the former ‘Fly it’ segment of the day-long event. Elementary, middle and high school students from all over South Florida are invited to compete for nearly $5,000 in prize money up for grabs. The competition takes place on Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m and the deadline to register is April 4, 2014. Contest entry is free to each registrant and includes a complimentary lunch for the participant! The community is invited to watch the excitement as local kids demonstrate their ingenuity and science skills. A new incentive this year includes a special prize for the school with the most participants.
The contest celebrates engineering ingenuity with entrants able to participate in five different design contests. Competitors will see if they have a good egg or Humpty Dumpty after their egg container takes a three-story drop from a cherry picker in the Drop It competition; or if their bottle rocket will blast off or fizzle out during the Launch It competition. Bridges will be built, floatable boats will be crafted and roller coasters will operate as students compete for prize money, awarded to the first through fourth place winners in each category. The competition will be judged by the Florida Engineering Society. The Science Center is pleased to host this event for nearly 30 years
“With Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition on display, we started thinking ‘Float it’ should be a new element this year,” said Lew Crampton, Science Center CEO. “Similar to ‘Fly it,’ students will be making their boat on site with everyday household items provided to them. We are really excited to see how well this new competition is received. We are grateful for our long-standing partnership with the Florida Engineering Society and for the continued support of many longtime sponsors. It is our mission to ‘open every mind to science’ and this event encourages children of all ages to pursue careers in engineering, science and math.”
The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, formerly known as the South Florida Science Museum, recently completed a $5 million expansion and renovation and is currently hosting Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in its newly expanded exhibit hall. With a new mission to “open every mind to science,” the Science Center features more than 50 hands-on educational exhibits, an 8,000 gallon fresh and salt water aquarium- featuring both local and exotic marine life, a digital planetarium, conservation research station, Florida exhibit hall and an interactive Everglades exhibit.
Thanks to support from the Florida Engineering Society, and the support of generous sponsors, students will have the opportunity to take home nearly $5,000 in prize money. Title sponsors include Ice Legal P.A. The event is presented by Alvin I. Brown and Peggy S. Brown Charitable Foundation. Additional sponsors include, Comcast, Consolidated Insurance Group Inc., Modernizing Medicine, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, Inc., Winn Dixie, B/E Aerospace and Bricks 4 Kidz. PDQ is the official food sponsor for competitors and volunteers.
To register, and for competition rules and regulations, please visit www.sfsciencecenter.org. Contest entry and lunch are free to each contestant. In addition, two caregivers per registrant will receive half price admission to the Science Center for the day.
For more information or to register for the Drop It, Build It, Float It, Launch It, Thrill It Engineering Competition, contact the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium at 561-370-7710 or visit www.sfsciencecenter.org.
