Volunteers
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for CBB 2025. Please follow the link below to the online registration form if you would like to volunteer.
Volunteers act in many important capacities including event officials, question writers, or scientific mentors. If you have specific questions about volunteering, contact David Christopher at dmchrist@udel.edu. Read the brief job descriptions below, or check out the Job Descriptions page for links to more detailed information.
You can contribute to science education in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, and help spark the next generation of aspiring marine scientists. Our regional competition is one of 24 contests conducted around the nation each year as part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®). NOSB seeks to generate student interest and excitement about science and the oceans, and give young people a chance to examine marine science as a field of study and possible career path. Learn more about NOSB at their website, www.nosb.org/.
There are many opportunities to help out at the regional and national competitions. In addition to volunteers who actively contribute to the competition, we need other staff to make the event successful such as help with event registration, information, and hallway monitors and team escorts. Remember, everyone gets free snacks and beverages at our training sessions, as well as breakfast and lunch during the day of the event! Cool T-shirts and prizes are also given to all volunteers, so come join us for the fun!
Brief competition official job descriptions are as follows:
Moderator:
Reads the questions, keeps the match running smoothly and determines if an answer is right or wrong.
Level of effort: Attend a minimum of one (1) volunteer training; practice reading competition questions with other room officials multiple times; provide edits on questions as needed; practice reading questions in the eOSB prior to competition; and participate on day of competition. Time commitment: *approx. 10-15 hrs.
Science Judge:
Addresses scientific challenges, resets the buzzer system and reports the scoring of the Team Challenge Questions to the teams following grading.
Level of effort: Attend a minimum of one (1) volunteer training; practice reading competition questions with other room officials multiple times; provide edits on questions as needed; practice reading questions in the eOSB prior to competition; and participate on day of competition. Time commitment: *approx. 10-12 hrs.
Rules Judge:
Maintains the order in the game room, enforces competition rules, addresses challenges to the rules, issues warnings if necessary, and passes out Team Challenge Questions and scrap paper.
Level of effort: Attend a minimum of one (1) volunteer training; practice with other room officials multiple times; review rules of competition; and participate on day of competition. Time commitment: *approx. 10 hrs.
*Full Competition Rules Document
Scorekeeper:
Keeps a running tally of the points earned by each team on a flip chart, within view of the competitors.
Level of effort: Attend a minimum of one (1) volunteer training; practice with other room officials multiple times; review scoring rules of competition; and participate on day of competition. Time commitment: *approx. 10 hrs.
Timekeeper:
Marks the game time with a clock and a stopwatch.
Level of effort: Attend a minimum of one (1) volunteer training; practice with other room officials multiple times; review timekeeping procedures; and participate on day of competition. Time commitment: *approx. 10 hrs.
Runner:
Runs TCQs to Judges’ Appeals room for grading and picks up new round of TCQs from Ocean Bowl Central between rounds.
Level of effort: Attend a minimum of one (1) volunteer training; practice with other room officials multiple times; review layout of rooms on competition day; and participate on day of competition. Time commitment: *approx. 10 hrs.
