Today@Dal

The winning team from Dartmouth High.

High school students from across Nova Scotia gathered on the Agricultural Campus on April 25-26 to compete in the annual Reach for the Top provincial finals in hopes of advancing to the national competition at month’s end in Toronto.

The event, sponsored by Dalhousie for the fourth year in a row, got its start as a television show on CBC in 1966. Though the show was cancelled in 1985, that didn’t put an end to Canadian high school students testing their smarts on everything from math, science and history to pop culture.

Dal alumnus Hans Budgey, BSc. (Marine Biology)’87, MSc. (Biology)’91, has been organizing the event since 1998. He took over the reigns from his mother who organized the event for the previous 12 years has deep connection to the event. “I grew up watching it on TV, competed in high school for three years and then coached two teams, Windsor Regional High School from 1992 to 2000 and at Cobequid Educational Centre from 2008 to the present.”

Dartmouth High School took home the top honours for the second year in a row and will represent Nova Scotia at the Reach for the Top National Finals in Toronto at the end of May. Their winnings included not only Dal gift bags, but also — most importantly — a cheque for $1,000 from Dal to help offset the travel costs associated with competing on the national stage.

University recruiters on-site to cheer on the teams, present all students with swag bags and to coordinate a fun-filled photo booth—with guest appearances by the Dal Tiger and Agricultural Campus Ram. Lunchtime trivia that showcased fun facts about the Agricultural Campus was also no match for the Dartmouth High School team who won iTunes gift cards.

Best of luck to Dartmouth High School as they prepare to compete at the national championship.