Science Olympiad

If you love STEM, hands on learning and making great memories…

JOIN THE SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

Don’t just study science, love it!! 

• Wide range of content that prepares students for competition and academic success in middle and high school.

• Events that get students excited about science and teamwork while building confidence in a fun environment.

• Hands on events like building devices, experiments, and lab work!!

So why wait!

Join the celebration of Science as a student or a parent coach next season

(no experience necessary!)

Fueling future scientists, one Science Olympiad at a time!

Lookout for our sign-up forms coming up in echoes and sign-up to get SO updates

FAQs

What is the Science Olympiad ?

Science Olympiad is designed to increase a student’s interest in STEM fields and provide recognition for outstanding achievement in team events.

More details can be found at  https://www.soinc.org/programs/elementary

Sample events - https://www.soinc.org/elementary/sample-k-6-events

 

What are the events being offered in SO or DC?

Elementary level (Division A) has 16 events consisting of study, lab and build events.

Coaches will conduct a weekly class per category they would like to coach (30-45 mins per class) up until regionals on February 7th. We have few high/middle schoolers interested in coaching, but we will still need an adult volunteer in the room with level 2 clearance.

Anatomy Academy - [Content Event] Participants will demonstrate their understanding of human anatomy and physiology by identifying organs and tissues and explaining their functions. The competition will utilize a variety of models, slides, or pictures drawn from major human body systems.

Are You Sirius!? - [Content Event] Participants will demonstrate their knowledge of celestial bodies by identifying constellations, stars, planets, and answering conceptual astronomy questions. This event emphasizes both visual identification and written explanations of astronomical phenomena. 

Carbon Crunchers - [Content Event] Teams will complete tasks related to environmental problems and solutions, including identification, analysis, and laboratory investigations pertinent to the environment. 

DaVinci Decoder - [Inquiry and Problem Solving Event] Teams will decode, cryptanalyze, and solve encrypted messages using a variety of classic and modern cryptanalysis techniques, demonstrating skill with ciphers by decrypting messages in a competitive, exam-based format. 

Eggstraw-dinary Drop - [Engineering and Design Preparation Event] Teams will construct a device using only the provided soda straws and masking tape to cradle and protect a raw chicken egg dropped from a specified height to the floor. The goal is to prevent the egg from cracking or breaking during the drop. 

Metriculous Guessers - [Inquiry and Problem Solving Event] Each team will demonstrate an intuitive feeling for estimating and later for measuring different events/objects using SI metric units. 

Operation: Reconstruction - [Inquiry and Problem Solving Event] One participant will write a detailed description of a constructed object and how to build it. The other participant, using only this description, will attempt to reconstruct the object as accurately as possible. This event tests each team's ability to communicate complex information precisely and clearly. 

Plane and Simple - [Engineering and Design Preparation Event] During the tournament, teams will construct and optimize paper airplanes using supplied materials to achieve the best possible accuracy to a specified target. Distance from the target will determine the score. Rockstars - [Content Event] Each team will be required to identify various rocks and minerals. 

Sherlock Foams - [Inquiry and Problem Solving Event] Each team will test mystery powders, match fingerprints, and use chromatography to identify a forged check found at a crime scene. 

The Great Experimenter - [Inquiry and Problem Solving Event] Each team will design, conduct, and report the findings of an experiment entirely on-site. 

The Penne Express - [Engineering and Design Construction Event] Before the tournament, teams design, build, and test a vehicle constructed primarily from pasta, intended to traverse a ramp and lane in a specified amount of time and distance. The device is tested for both structural integrity and distance traveled, according to the event parameters. 

Tower Power - [Engineering and Design Preparation Event] Each team will build on tournament day the strongest, tallest tower with the materials provided. 

Watt’s Up - [Content Event] Participants will complete tasks and answer questions related to simple direct-current (DC) electric circuits, including identification, construction, and understanding of open, closed, series, and parallel circuits. 

What’s the Buzz - [Content Event] Each team will distinguish insects from non-insects, label various body parts and anatomical features, discuss ecological roles, habitats, and life cycles of major orders of insects.

Who can be an event coach for SO?

 

Each event needs a Coach. Coaches will need level 2 clearance. 

 

Coaches can be parents or high/middle school students.

 

If students, they should have experience with SO and should have participated in SO tournaments. Student Coaches need a level 2 cleared parent volunteer with them in all classes and the parent volunteer will be responsible for students.

 

Coach will need to conduct classes from September / beginning of the season up until regionals in Feb/March.

 

What does the event coach do and how much time will the event coach spend in SO?

About each event and coaching : Science Olympiad provides an event manual for each event. In the year 2024-25, the coaches conducted classes (30-60 mins) after school hours in the classrooms / library allocated by our school.  

The coaches are responsible for building the learning material and finding ways to make it easier and fun for the students.

Effective ways that were used in the past are frequent quizzes, hands-on activity and experiments instead of continuous theory, video learning and application of the knowledge with practical examples. Coaches from 2024-25 will share their material and help out with any queries.

 

Time varies based on events and existing knowledge.

Where do I register my kids for SO?

We are very excited to offer Science Olympiad(SO) Division A to our current 3rd and 4th for SO season 2025-2026. Science topics include earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

There will be a fee of about $150 per student to cover tournament registration, study material, event supplies,  t-shirts, operational costs.

25% waiver for children of event coaches.

 

 

What time and where will SO classes take place?

Time will depend on Coach availability and will be decided at the start of the school year.

Last year all classes took place in DC class rooms.

I don't have a science background to teach kids. How can I volunteer?

We can recommend events based on your background and science background is not required but other options are support Student coach, program coordinator, communication coordinator, food planner, treasurer, photographer, tournament proctor and others.