The annual Science Olympiad is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, on the NDSU campus. The multi-event science state tournament for junior and senior high students will feature 48 teams from across North Dakota.
The teams, comprised of 15 students each, will compete in two divisions – Division B is for grades 6-9 and Division C is for grades 9-12. The competition is based on skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM.
“These students represent the highest level of STEM achievement within the state, as they need to qualify for the state tournament by placing in one of the state’s five regional tournaments,” explained Guy Hokanson, Science Olympiad co-director and programmer analyst at the NDSU Center for Science and Mathematics Education. “The winner in each division will go on to represent North Dakota in the National Science Olympiad Tournament at the University of Central Florida in Orlando on May 16 and 17.”
More than 800 students, teachers and spectators are expected on campus for the competition. About 100 volunteer facilitators are needed for the event, with an initial meeting for volunteers scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, at 3 p.m. in FLC 313.
“We need many volunteers in order to make this a fun and exciting experience for the competitors,” said Otto Borchert, Science Olympiad co-director and programmer analyst at the NDSU Center for Science and Mathematics Education. “There are many events from multiple disciplines to choose from. Event facilitators generally complete advance preparation and facilitate or judge the event on the day of the competition. You do not need to be an expert in a scientific field – enthusiasm and a willingness to share your time are the only prerequisites.”
A list of division B events can be found at www.soinc.org/2014_div_b_events, while Division C events are listed at www.soinc.org/2014_div_c_events .
According to Hokanson, construction-type events are usually open to the public. Some events include the elastic-launched glider competition where students build gliders that stay in the air as long as possible, the helicopters event where students create rubber-powered helicopters that stay in the air as long as they can, the wheeled vehicle race where elastic-powered vehicles go down a track measured on speed and accuracy and the Scrambler, where students build a device that uses energy from a falling mass to transport an egg quickly and stop the closest to the center of a barrier without breaking the egg.
For more information about the Science Olympiad, visit www.ndsu.edu/olympiad. To volunteer, contact Hokanson at guy.hokanson@ndsu.edu or Borchert at otto.bochert@ndsu.edu.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
