Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau: Wisconsin Dells shows off its intellectual side

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Melanie Platt-Gibson, Marketing Director

608.254.7180, Ext. 343 or melanie@wisdells.com

Trio of High School Academic Competitions Choose the Waterpark Capital for Their State Finals

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – The nation’s vacationing public knows Wisconsin Dells as “The Waterpark Capital of the World!®”, but it turns out this resort community famous for waterslides and scenic tours of the Wisconsin River is also playing host to three state-level academic competitions over the next month. Not so strange when you think that the Dells is home to arguably the state’s largest concentration of entrepreneurs, with more than 90% of the businesses, including the massive waterpark resorts and indoor amusement parks, owned by locals.

The first competition takes place this Thursday and Friday at Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness. It’s the state’s Academic Decathlon finals, with 20 Wisconsin high school teams competing for high scores on oral and written exams covering art, economics, literature, math, music and science. The winning team will advance to the April national competition in Omaha, Neb. The highlight of this competition is expected to the “Jeopardy”-style Super Quiz Relay on Friday at 12:45 p.m. at Glacier Canyon, which is open to the public.

Next in town will be the state high school competition for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), with some 2,000 members and advisors descending on Chula Vista Resort for two days of competition, April 12-13. Among the goals for FBLA participation are to develop business leadership and create understanding of the American business enterprise. Competition categories range from business ethics to entrepreneurship to e-business, with winners heading to the nationals in Nashville, Tenn. in July.

Third in line is the Wisconsin Future Problem Solvers State Bowl, set for April 15-17 at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center. Future Problem Solvers engages high school students in creative problem solving, encouraging them to develop a vision for the future. The topic for this year’s state competition centers on food distribution. This one even culminates with an international competition.

Wisconsin Dells is one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations, and has also been making headlines as a leading up-and-comer for youth sports tournaments and meetings and conventions. The community’s official web site is http://www.wisdells.com and their toll-free number is 1.800.223.3557.