Bay Area Students Win Prizes at International Science Competition

OAKLAND, Calif., May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Three young scientists at the Bay Area Technology School in Oakland won a silver medal at the I-SWEEEP Olympiad (International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment Project). The students, Mario Rodriguez, Kamal Idrisov and Yousof Hamdan, won the second prize in the Environment category -- for their project entitled, "Using Engineered Bacteria as an Efficient Biosensor of Environmental Toxins." The event was held in Houston, Texas, May 4-9, 2011 and attracted hundreds of entries from more than 70 countries.

"BayTech would like to congratulate the students, their teacher and all others who have contributed to this great achievement," said the school principal, Mr. Ercan Aydogdu. "Tomorrow's scientists are already making discoveries for a better world."

The students, who are tenth graders at the school, were coached by their science teacher Mr. Zekeriya Temircan and have been preparing for the competition since September 2010. They spent their Saturdays working alongside Professor Ahmet Yildiz at UC Berkeley, doing experiments and developing their project. They also put their entrepreneurial skills to use by raising the funds for their trip.

"Their efforts paid off quite literally," added Mr. Aydogdu. The award consisted of a cash prize of $600 as well as a $7,000 scholarship for each student to attend the North American College in Houston.

The Bay Area Technology School serves students in grades 6 to 12 with a curriculum that focuses on science, math and technology. The school limits classroom size to a maximum of 25 students and offers specialized teachers for each subject area. Students have the opportunity to become involved in after school programs, as well as in its science and math competitions.  BayTech also provides free tutoring to enable students to excel in any subject. For more information on the school call (510) 645 9932 or visit www.baytechschool.org.

For more information about the I-SWEEEP Olympiad, visit www.isweep.org.

SOURCE Bay Area Technology School