Middle school students from around county battle it out in Knowledge Bowl

2023 Knowledge Bowl winners, Patton Middle School’s 8A Team.

On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, middle school students from across Chester County gathered at the Technical College High School (TCHS) Brandywine Campus to test their knowledge in the Chester County Knowledge Bowl, which was coordinated and hosted by the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU).

Similar to the CCIU’s Chester County Academic Competition, the Knowledge Bowl is a day-long “quiz-bowl” for students in grades six through eight to answer challenging questions in categories such as literature, math, science, American and World History, and contemporary events.

The TCHS Brandywine cafeteria was full of energy as 32 teams of up to four students each gathered and anxiously waited for the day of competition to begin. The Knowledge Bowl kicked off with an opening message from CCIU Special Events Coordinator Kathy Gurnee. “Be honest, be true to who you are, and remember, it’s not always about the grades or winning. It’s about having fun, and continuing with your life-long learning,” Gurnee said in her opening remarks.

The Knowledge Bowl was broken down into four, hour-long rounds. Sixth grade students competed against one another, while seventh and eighth grade students competed together. Each round consisted of 60 oral questions, which students had 15 seconds to answer. Part of the challenge was that only one student could answer the question without any discussion. Another challenge was that paper and pencil were only permitted during math questions.

After a day full of competition for the sixth grade teams, it was Unionville-Chadds Ford’S Patton Middle School 6B Team who won first place with 117 points; Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center’s 6A Team who placed second with 116 points; and Patton Middle School’s 6A Team who came in third with 112 points.

At the end of the seventh and eighth grade competition, Patton Middle School’s 8A Team earned bragging rights and the title of 2023 Chester County Knowledge Bowl Champions with a total of 152 points. Tredyffrin/Easttown’s Valley Forge 7/8A Eagles Team placed second with 132 points, and Patton Middle School’s 7B Benchwarmers Team placed third with 127 points.

When asked how it felt to come out on top in this year’s Knowledge Bowl, Liam, from Patton Middle School’s 8A Team said, “It feels great! For the last few months, our team would meet during lunch every week, and we basically simulated the competition.”

To echo Liam’s excitement, the coach of Patton Middle School’s 8A Team added, “It’s wonderful seeing their hard work pay off. The team was committed to practicing and working together, and I am extremely proud of their sportsmanship today.”