WHIZ KIDS

Documentary Film Screening

Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 7 p.m.
National Academy of Sciences
Auditorium, 2100 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C.
Free; Photo ID required.
Reservations required: email rdiaz@nas.edu or call (202) 334-1517

Radio Host Bob Edwards (formerly Host of NPR's Morning Edition) will be moderating a Q&A with the film's subjects and filmmakers immediately following the screening.  

From the filmmakers who brought you the Sundance and Emmy Award-winning films SCOUT'S HONOR and GIRLS LIKE US comes the new, feature-length documentary WHIZ KIDS.  The film chronicles a battle of brainiacs — in this case, the competition is the nation's oldest, most prestigious science competition. 

WHIZ KIDS is a coming-of-age documentary that marks the distinct paths of three remarkably passionate 16-year-old scientists who vie to compete—win or lose—in the Intel Science Talent Search, a program of Society for Science & the Public (and formerly known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search).   Spitfire Ana Cisneros is a first generation Ecuadorian American whose parents came to the U.S. in search of a better life for their family.  The daughter of a former DuPont chemist from West Virginia, Kelydra Welcker is an earnest environmental watchdog.  Pakistani-born Harmain Khan is a mercurial teen with enormous ambition. 

While the competition itself provides a grueling and emotionally compelling narrative, the filmmakers agreed that the coming-of-age stories of its contenders would comprise the heart of the film.  For a year and a half, they visited high schools around the country searching for teenagers who were engaged in sophisticated research.  The team found students, who at 16 and 17, were already working in university and government labs, sometimes alongside Nobel Prize-winning scientists.  They also found students with fewer resources who were making discoveries in the apocryphal basement or garage lab.  Several traits were consistent among these "whiz kids" — an insatiable curiosity, a deeply felt determination to communicate their work to the public, and a passion to make a difference in the world.  The subjects of this film raise questions about class, courage, personal sacrifice, success, and failure, and in the process, learn as much about themselves as they do about science.

Society for Science & the Public (SSP) is sponsoring a student podcast contest to celebrate the movie premiere of Whiz Kids. As part of SSP’s outreach efforts, local high school students who attend the premiere will be encouraged to submit either an audio or video podcast about the movie. Podcasts will be judged for originality and creativity by a panel of judges. Top prizes of $300 for individual students and teams will be awarded. In addition each student who enters will receive a complimentary one year digital subscription to Science News magazine, published by SSP. Winners will be announced on the SSP website January 25, 2010. Please email or call 202-872-5140 for more information.



This screening is co-sponsored by the Society for Science & the Public.

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Click here to visit the Whiz Kids website

For more information: (202) 334-2436 or cpnas@nas.edu
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