Delphian School Student Wins Top Science Award

Elliot Alexander, McMinnville resident and student of The Delphian School, is one of twelve winners of the 2005 Young Naturalist Awards, an annual science contest sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, to recognize young people in grades seven through twelve for excellence in the natural sciences.

Using biology, Earth science, or astronomy as a departure point, the Young Naturalist Awards of 2005 invited students to choose a scientific topic or question and embark upon a scientific inquiry of their own. Applicants were asked to document their findings in an essay. Scientists and educators at the Museum judged and selected the awardees whose outstanding work is published on the Museum’s Web site. Delphian School student Elliot Alexander’s award winning essay, entitled "Dance of the Moons," is the result of an astronomy project wherein he used a personal telescope to track and photograph the orbits of the moons of Jupiter.

Commenting on his efforts, Delphian School student Elliot said: "I really enjoyed this project. I learned about orbits and telescopes. In addition, I gained a better understanding of how scientific research is done. It's exciting the first time to look in the telescope and see things you've never seen before."
Delphian School student Elliot Alexander’s award includes a $1500 college scholarship and a fully paid invitation for himself and a family member to attend the award ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in the spring of 2005.

The Delphian School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school offering college preparatory, English-as-a-Second-Language and summer programs for elementary through high school students. The Delphian School is licensed to use Applied Scholastics(TM) educational services.