Science Olympiad is intended for students that have an interest in science and engineering who may or may not choose a career in one of those fields. The point of Science Olympiad is to learn some science and have some fun in the process. Events cover biology, physics, chemistry, earth science, engineering and inquiry. They range from pencil and paper “tests,” to performing lab experiments, to building a structure or robot. Some of the 23 events include:

Designer Genes where students solve problems using their knowledge of molecular genetics, biotechnology, and population genetics.
Remote Sensing where participants use satellite imagery of Earth and other resources to identify and interpret geologic features, answer questions or solve problems.
Bridge Building – where students build the lightest bridge capable of supporting 15 kilograms
Write It Do It – where one team member writes a description of a structure built from legos (or some other material) and then another team member tries to construct it from the written description
Chem Lab – where students work in a laboratory setting to answer a series of questions regarding regarding an area of chemistry such as chemical bonding and oxidation/reduction.

(Rules for two events can be found here. This will give you an example of both a building event and an academic event.)

The goals of Science Olympiad include:

To increase the interest and proficiency of Kansas students in the study of science.
Promote team work.
To recognize outstanding student and teacher achievements in science.
To improve the quality of science education in Kansas.

Students that have participated in Science Olympiad also recognize its benefits:

I always liked science and make good grades in it but now it seems more fun and amazing.
I feel that this Olympiad had a lot of value toward making science fun.
Science has become more fun and I think I’m starting to learn more.
It has been a way of making me see how fun learning and studying can be.
I think it was pretty cool and educational to find [out] even more about science.

Coaches have had this to say about Science Olympiad:

We’re very excited & can’t wait until next year.
Students enjoyed the challenge of the events during their preparation. Many of the events reinforced classroom learning.
The tournament opened student’s eyes to the wide variety of disciplines within “science.”
I feel it was good for these students who are interested in science to have fun at events such as these. I also think it was valuable for them to see students from other schools who are also interested in science.

From these comments, it is apparent that both students and teachers see the benefit of participation in Science Olympiad.

There are four divisions within Science Olympiad:

Division A1: Grades K-3
Division A2: Grades 3-6
Division B: Grades 6-9
Division C: Grades 9-12

In Kansas there are regional and state tournaments only for Divisions B and C. Participation in Divisions A1 And A2 is limited to activities at a particular school.

Go on to How to Get Started

This page last updated 03/17/2010

What is theKansas Science Olympiad?

What is the
Kansas Science Olympiad?