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On Feb. 29 nearly 1,000 students from middle and high schools across Central Pennsylvania will flock to Millersville University (MU) for the region’s 13th annual Science Olympiad competition. They will compete in teams for a chance to participate at the state and national levels.
“We are excited to bring students who are interested in STEM to Millersville to interact with our students and faculty. The Science Olympiad is an exciting opportunity for the student competitors to show their STEM skills and be recognized for their accomplishments, says Dr. Daniel Albert, assistant professor of physical chemistry and coordinator of the competition at Millersville.
The one-day competition will consist of 46 events, with disciplines ranging from biology and chemistry to engineering and technology. The 52 schools registered for the event will be broken up into two divisions – the B Division for middle school students and the C Division for high school students.
There will be events in all areas of STEM. In one event students will use their chemistry and biology content knowledge along with their understanding of the scientific method to investigate a simulated crime scene and solve the case. In another event students will build an airplane out of balsa wood that is powered by a rubber band. These students compete to build the plane that can stay in the air the longest. In another event students will be asked to figure out and break an encryption code.
This year, 19 schools will be competing in the B-Division and 33 schools will be competing in the C-Division. Each team can have up to 15 members, so there will be nearly 800 students on MU’s campus participating. Local science teachers, MU faculty and students and local volunteers interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education will judge the events.
Awards are given to the top performing teams in each event and to the top performing teams overall. The top teams in both divisions move onto the state competition on April 25 at Juniata College.
Events are held in Caputo and Roddy Halls, and the Student Memorial Center (SMC). Spectators wishing to see events take place should go to Marauder Courts in the SMC. The events held in that space are ideal for spectators.
Additional information about the Science Olympiad Competition can be found at: 2020 Science Olympiad.
