Job Corps students compete in annual Philadelphia Region Academic Olympics

No one said winning the Olympics was easy, even when they are held at a Pennsylvania motel rather than in Beijing – and even when they are academic rather than athletic.  

The annual Philadelphia Region Job Corps Academic Olympics were recently held in Wilkes-Barre, with six teams of five students each – plus one alternate – answering questions in the subjects of English, social studies, math, science and spelling.

The coach from the MTC-operated Keystone Job Corps Center, Linda Schwartz, said she picks team members – one for each topic, plus one alternate – based on academic performance.

For five rounds, each student gets a chance to answer one question. If they answer it correctly without help, the team gets two points; if they answer correctly after consulting teammates, they receive one point.

There is also a bonus round on general questions regarding current events.
It’s a good bit of work for little more than bragging rights.  The winning team gets a trophy and $180, but it goes straight to that team’s Job Corps Center.

The students win a trip to Ocean City, Md., later this year to compete with other regional winners throughout the East Coast. If they win there, Schwartz said, they each get a laptop computer.

(Posted 09/20/08)

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