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competition. Nearly 100 judges and volunteers are also anticipated to attend during the day in order to adequately oversee the multiple poster presentation and in-pool competitions as well as en- sure a rewarding and memorable day for all.

On Saturday evening the gala awards banquet will take place in the Payne Cen- ter on campus where presentations of fi rst-through-third place trophies in each event for middle school, high school and open classes will be awarded, and the

SeaPerch National Champions will be revealed. In addition to more than 500 student team members and their leaders, classmates, parents, friends, volunteers, judges, invited guests, speakers and committee members will comprise the anticipated total of nearly 800 attendees.

Invited speakers, representing corporate sponsors, local and state congressional representatives, ONR, U.S. Navy, U.S.

Coast Guard and other military branch personnel, will be invited to observe the day’s activities. All will be encouraged to arrive early, to observe the competi- tions, judge various events and speak fi rst hand with the students before ad- dressing them that evening at the ban- quet about the importance of STEM to their future careers. All student team members will receive participation med- als, and be photographed by team for the benefi t of their families and schools.

Sunday, May 18, will be a free day for the teams to explore on their own the rich cultural history and outdoor activi- ties including parks, historic sites and museums in the greater Hattiesburg,

Mississippi area.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for individual, local and corpo- rate funding, details of which are posted on the SeaPerch website. Also, judges and volunteers are always welcome.

Should you be interested in participat- ing as a volunteer or judge on May 17, contact Cheri Koch at koch@auvsifoun- dation.org.

Certifi cates of Participation are avail- able both for student participants and for teachers and advisors to download fol- lowing the National Challenge.

For news and updates concerning the

National Challenge, please visit the

SeaPerch website, www.seaperch.org, and for questions please contact Susan

Nelson, Executive Director, at e: [email protected] www.seadiscovery.com

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