The search for America’s Top Young Scientist has been continuing this week.

Discovery Education and 3M announced the names of 44 middle school students from around the nation selected as semifinalists in the 2008 "Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge (YSC)."

Mathew McGuthry, a home-schooled student in Richmond Hill has won the YSC semifinalist honor for the state of Georgia.

"The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge encourages students to make science come alive for their peers in an interactive, entertaining way, and we are extremely pleased with the entries for this year’s competition," said Bill Goodwyn, President of Discovery Education. "These students represent the future of science in America, and we’re proud to support them in pursuit of science excellence."

Now in its 10th year, the YSC introduced a new entry mechanism for students, challenging their ability to innovatively use everyday technology to communicate basic scientific concepts.

From camcorders to cell phones, YSC competitors chose any technology available to create two-minute videos demonstrating their understanding of scientific concepts provided by Discovery Education and 3M.

Concepts revolved around this year’s theme, "The Science of Space," and included the Doppler Effect, Parabola, Why Earth’s Sky Appears Blue, Orbital Paths, Magnetic Fields, the Bernoulli Principle and the Venturi Effect.

Entries were evaluated based on student ability to understand and effectively communicate the meaning of their chosen concept, not on the sophistication of their video production. The competition was open to all middle school students across the country.

The countdown to choosing America’s Top Young Scientist continues next month, when on Aug. 20, the YSC judges will narrow the field of 44 student semifinalist, who represent 43 states and the District of Columbia, down to the top 10 student finalists.

Top finalists will come to Washington, D.C. in October, where they will take part in a series of team-based, interactive challenges focused on the science of space.

NASA will host the competition finals on Oct. 5 and 6 at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The students will compete for a $50,000 U.S. Savings Bond, cash and special prizes, as well as the title of "America’s Top Young Scientist of the Year."

The full list of 44 semifinalists, their hometowns and schools can be found at: www.DiscoveryEducation.com/YoungScientist.

The YSC targets students in the years when research indicates their interest in science begins to fade and encourages them to explore scientific concepts and creatively communicate their findings.