The contest begins at 8:30 a.m. and will continue throughout the day in the university's science buildings near the center of campus along Lindley Avenue.

"This is the kind of competition that can turn a student on to science," said CSUN biology professor Steven Oppenheimer, who is helping to coordinate the university's participation in the event. "They will actually be involved in the construction of specific items like rockets, robots, airplanes and bridges. It can really tap into the creativity of these kids.

"The health, welfare and security of the United States depends upon excellence in science," he said. "Part of that excellence comes from innovation and creativity. This is exactly the kind of event that begins a kid's journey down that path."

Teams of students representing nearly 100 elementary, middle and high schools from throughout the county will be put through a myriad of challenges testing their knowledge in all areas of science and engineering including such fields as cell biology, the web, structural engineering, astrophysics and mathematics.

Some students will be asked to design and build a battery-powered vehicle that will then have to navigate a designated course. Others will be asked to design and build the lightest bridge capable of supporting a given load, using only wood and glue.

Still other students will have to create rockets out of 1- and 2-liter plastic soda bottles that must remain aloft for a maximum period of time. And still more will be asked to design and build a container that will prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a specific height.

In one competition, robots built by the students will face off in a contest that tests just how agile the creations are.

In all, there are more than 30 different events to test the students' engineering and scientific skills throughout the day.

Throughout the day dozens of CSUN students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Science and Mathematics will be on hand to assist the teams and provide role models for the young people.

"We hope to spark an interest in science," Oppenheimer said. "We might just help these kids learn to really love science and encourage them to go on to a career in science."

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full-time and part-time students and offers 48 bachelors' and 39 masters' degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.