Kimberly-Clark Hi-Q
Encyclopedia
Hi-Q is the oldest academic quiz competition in the United States
, begun in 1948 in Delaware County
, Pennsylvania
. It presently takes place as an intracounty competition in six different states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
, Washington, Ohio , Florida
, and Alabama
).
2007 is the 59th year of Hi-Q. 21 high school teams compete in Delaware County, PA. A $3000 prize is awarded to the first place school, $2500 to second place, and $2000 to third place.
Each team is composed of ten students. The competition covers 13 subject areas: Art History
, Biology
, Chemistry
, Current Events, Geography
, Literature
, Mathematics
, Physics
, Shakespeare, Sports, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Questions are selected from standard high school scholastic curricula, general scholastic knowledge, or from reference materials provided.
Each high school team competes in three matches each season, excluding possible semi-final and championship appearances. Each match consists of three competing teams. Each match is hosted by one of the participating teams competing in that match. Matches are typically held in the high school auditorium on stage, before an audience of students, teachers, faculty, and community members. Questions are read aloud by the Quizmaster, and at times team members use buzzers to answer questions.
Points awarded throughout the season accumulate and determine semi-final and championship entry eligibility.
Delco Hi-Q participants are honored at the annual "Partners in Education" dinner in May. Guest speakers have included celebrities such as Alex Trebek
and John Allen Paulos
.
in 1948. Questions were designed to test the general knowledge that students received in the classroom. Over the years, new reference materials were added and students began to answer questions based on specific categories and reference works. Robert O. Johnson served as the first Quizmaster. During the early years of Hi-Q, contests were broadcast on radio station WPWA 1590.
Teams were initially composed of four students for each school; teams were subsequently expanded to six students and then to the current eight-member team. Drawn from three elements, SCOTT, High School, and I.Q., the program was known from the beginning as Scott’s Hi-Q.
The success of Scott’s Hi-Q in Delaware County led Scott Paper to introduce the program across the country. The competition expanded in 1976 to Washington state, in 1977 to Wisconsin/Michigan, in 1982 to Maine, in 1984 to Arkansas, and in 1987 to Alabama. Hi-Q competitions still take place in Washington, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, each with different sponsoring organizations. In 1979, Tom McCarthy began his run as Quizmaster and remains in that role today.
After the merger of Scott Paper with Kimberly-Clark
in 1997, the program was turned over to long time director, Donna Zerby. She partnered with the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce to provide stable funding for the program. Kimberly-Clark Corporation-Chester Operations became the primary corporate sponsor and the twenty-one area high schools began financially contributing to the program. Other sponsors and supporters began contributing. Donna Zerby also continued her involvement with Hi-Q on a national level, serving as an independent consultant to those locations.
After 59 seasons, Delco Hi-Q is still going strong thanks to a partnership between the education and business community. Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU) and The Foundation of the Delaware County Chamber entered into a joint sponsorship agreement in 2004 to co-sponsor Delco Hi-Q. DCIU is responsible for providing a Quizmaster, Program Director, as well as the technical services needed to run and manage the program. The Foundation is responsible for soliciting contributions for the program, collecting entrance fees, administering funds, supplies, and conducts the annual awards ceremony. Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union joined Kimberly-Clark as a primary corporate sponsor in 2004 with an initial five year, $75,000 commitment.
The Partners in Education Celebration was started in 2005. What was once a luncheon honoring the three top teams, became a 600-person banquet honoring all of the Delco Hi-Q participants. The dinner is held annually and is presented by the Foundation and DCIU. Alex Trebek
served as the guest speaker and 6ABC's Action News anchor Rick Williams was master of ceremonies for the first celebration.
DCIU and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union started the Delco Hall of Honor in the same year. Its purpose is to honor past participants and supporters and to provide role models for current Hi-Q participants Another new tradition began in 2005, DCIU and FMFCU partnered with the Delaware County Daily Times to start the tradition of the All Delco Hi-Q Team. Donna Zerby was the first inductee into the Hall of Honor and considered it the greatest honor of her career.
After the passing of Donna in 2005, Ginger Beaumont agreed to serve as director for the 2005/06 season. Ginger had previously spent six years coordinating the Delaware County program under the direction of Mrs. Zerby. The 2005/06 season was dedicated in memory of Donna and her 42 year association with Hi-Q.
In 2006, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union signed an agreement with DCIU to provide question resources and Program Directors to Delco Hi-Q. Ginger Beaumont remained with Hi-Q and serves as Co-Director with Rick Durante of FMFCU.
The Foundation of the Delaware County Chamber and Delaware County Intermediate Union (DCIU) continue to co-sponsor Delco Hi-Q.
The winning Hi-Q team of the 2009 and 2010 seasons was Penncrest High School
. The team accumulated the most points in the regular season and then went on to win the championship match in each of the last two years.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, begun in 1948 in Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It presently takes place as an intracounty competition in six different states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Washington, Ohio , Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
).
2007 is the 59th year of Hi-Q. 21 high school teams compete in Delaware County, PA. A $3000 prize is awarded to the first place school, $2500 to second place, and $2000 to third place.
Each team is composed of ten students. The competition covers 13 subject areas: Art History
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Current Events, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Shakespeare, Sports, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
World History
World History, Global History or Transnational history is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s. It examines history from a global perspective...
Questions are selected from standard high school scholastic curricula, general scholastic knowledge, or from reference materials provided.
Each high school team competes in three matches each season, excluding possible semi-final and championship appearances. Each match consists of three competing teams. Each match is hosted by one of the participating teams competing in that match. Matches are typically held in the high school auditorium on stage, before an audience of students, teachers, faculty, and community members. Questions are read aloud by the Quizmaster, and at times team members use buzzers to answer questions.
Points awarded throughout the season accumulate and determine semi-final and championship entry eligibility.
Delco Hi-Q participants are honored at the annual "Partners in Education" dinner in May. Guest speakers have included celebrities such as Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek
George Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian American game show host who has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted game shows such as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has appeared in numerous television series, usually as himself...
and John Allen Paulos
John Allen Paulos
John Allen Paulos is a professor of mathematics at Temple University in Philadelphia who has gained fame as a writer and speaker on mathematics and the importance of mathematical literacy...
.
History of Delco Hi-Q
Delco Hi-Q is the oldest continuous academic quiz competition in the United States. The Hi-Q academic competition began in Delaware County, PA as a community relations program of Scott Paper CompanyScott Paper Company
The Scott Paper Company is a USA-based corporation which manufactures mostly paper based consumer products.Scott Paper was founded in 1879 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by brothers E. Irvin and Clarence Scott, and is often credited as being the first to market toilet paper sold on a roll...
in 1948. Questions were designed to test the general knowledge that students received in the classroom. Over the years, new reference materials were added and students began to answer questions based on specific categories and reference works. Robert O. Johnson served as the first Quizmaster. During the early years of Hi-Q, contests were broadcast on radio station WPWA 1590.
Teams were initially composed of four students for each school; teams were subsequently expanded to six students and then to the current eight-member team. Drawn from three elements, SCOTT, High School, and I.Q., the program was known from the beginning as Scott’s Hi-Q.
The success of Scott’s Hi-Q in Delaware County led Scott Paper to introduce the program across the country. The competition expanded in 1976 to Washington state, in 1977 to Wisconsin/Michigan, in 1982 to Maine, in 1984 to Arkansas, and in 1987 to Alabama. Hi-Q competitions still take place in Washington, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Pennsylvania, each with different sponsoring organizations. In 1979, Tom McCarthy began his run as Quizmaster and remains in that role today.
After the merger of Scott Paper with Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include "Kleenex" facial tissue, "Kotex" feminine hygiene products, "Cottonelle", Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, "KimWipes"...
in 1997, the program was turned over to long time director, Donna Zerby. She partnered with the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce to provide stable funding for the program. Kimberly-Clark Corporation-Chester Operations became the primary corporate sponsor and the twenty-one area high schools began financially contributing to the program. Other sponsors and supporters began contributing. Donna Zerby also continued her involvement with Hi-Q on a national level, serving as an independent consultant to those locations.
After 59 seasons, Delco Hi-Q is still going strong thanks to a partnership between the education and business community. Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU) and The Foundation of the Delaware County Chamber entered into a joint sponsorship agreement in 2004 to co-sponsor Delco Hi-Q. DCIU is responsible for providing a Quizmaster, Program Director, as well as the technical services needed to run and manage the program. The Foundation is responsible for soliciting contributions for the program, collecting entrance fees, administering funds, supplies, and conducts the annual awards ceremony. Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union joined Kimberly-Clark as a primary corporate sponsor in 2004 with an initial five year, $75,000 commitment.
The Partners in Education Celebration was started in 2005. What was once a luncheon honoring the three top teams, became a 600-person banquet honoring all of the Delco Hi-Q participants. The dinner is held annually and is presented by the Foundation and DCIU. Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek
George Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian American game show host who has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted game shows such as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has appeared in numerous television series, usually as himself...
served as the guest speaker and 6ABC's Action News anchor Rick Williams was master of ceremonies for the first celebration.
DCIU and Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union started the Delco Hall of Honor in the same year. Its purpose is to honor past participants and supporters and to provide role models for current Hi-Q participants Another new tradition began in 2005, DCIU and FMFCU partnered with the Delaware County Daily Times to start the tradition of the All Delco Hi-Q Team. Donna Zerby was the first inductee into the Hall of Honor and considered it the greatest honor of her career.
After the passing of Donna in 2005, Ginger Beaumont agreed to serve as director for the 2005/06 season. Ginger had previously spent six years coordinating the Delaware County program under the direction of Mrs. Zerby. The 2005/06 season was dedicated in memory of Donna and her 42 year association with Hi-Q.
In 2006, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union signed an agreement with DCIU to provide question resources and Program Directors to Delco Hi-Q. Ginger Beaumont remained with Hi-Q and serves as Co-Director with Rick Durante of FMFCU.
The Foundation of the Delaware County Chamber and Delaware County Intermediate Union (DCIU) continue to co-sponsor Delco Hi-Q.
The winning Hi-Q team of the 2009 and 2010 seasons was Penncrest High School
Penncrest High School
Penncrest High School is a public high school in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the high school for the Rose Tree Media School District and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Penncrest students score in the top 25...
. The team accumulated the most points in the regular season and then went on to win the championship match in each of the last two years.