The first Upper Peninsula TiViTz tournament was held on Thursday May 5 at the Wood Gym of the MTU Student Development Complex from 9am-noon. 135 students in grades 4 to 8 from CLK Elementary, South Range Elementary, Jeffers High School, E.B. Holman, Barkell Elementary and L'Anse Middle School participated in the tournament.

"Space TiViTz" is an entertaining, educational game that sneaks in a healthy dose of learning while kids have a blast! The board game, which is as easy as checkers and as strategic as chess, builds basic math and critical thinking skills. For more information on TiViTz, visit www.tivitz.com.

Dr. Kathryn Clark, Chief Scientist of Human Space Flight for NASA and Vice President at TiViTz, was the Chief of the tournament and presented the awards. Awards were given to top four places in each grade. The first place students in each grade received a NASA pin for next shuttle mission. After the awards ceremony, students had opportunity to talk with Dr. Clark and get her autograph.

MTU Summer Youth Program raffled off prizes. Victoria Kangas from South Range Elementary received a gift certificate from MTU Campus Store. Matt Jenkins from Jeffers High School received a scholarship to the MTU Summer Youth Program.

The TiViTz Tournament was partially sponsored by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium, of which MTU is a member, and was hosted by the Western UP Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education and the MTU Conferences & Institutes Office, a division of the Department of Educational Opportunity.

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Ms. Shawn Oppliger
Director of Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education
P.O. Box 270, 809 Hecla St.
Hancock MI 49930
906-482-0331 (work), 906-482-9669 (home) 906-482-5031(fax)
shawn@copperisd.org
http://wupcenter.mtu.edu

The Western U.P. Center is a partnership of Copper Country & Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School Districts and Michigan Technological University, serving 21 school districts and the communities in Houghton, Baraga, Gogebic, Ontonagon and Keweenaw Counties.