By CRA News Service
Students from Boca Raton High School squared off recently with their counterparts from approximately 3,500 other schools in a competition that included a flight endurance contest powered by rubber-band engines, a precision robotics event and a test of a car’s speed, estimation and accuracy.
In the end, the Science Olympiad team – which captured the top spot at the state level cross-discipline competition – earned 19th place in the 2015 National Championship competition recently.
“We had a great mix of seasoned veterans, along with some new talent,” Jon Benskin, the team’s coach, said in a news release. “Veterans performed in a magnificent way and rookies stepped up, proving that this team still has more to achieve.”
One of the nation’s most prestigious science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions, Science Olympiad – held on Saturday, May 16, at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln – brought together 120 winning middle school and high school teams, which advanced from state-level competitions this spring.
The national competition, consisted of knowledge-based events, lab events and events in which pre-built devices were tested.
Representatives from government agencies, top universities and Science Olympiad state chapters led their students through rigorous hands-on, building and lab events that covered topics in physics, epidemiology, astronomy, chemistry, meteorology and engineering.
The students earned medals in three of the 23 different scientific events in which they competed.
“These winning teams exemplify the best America has to offer in science, technology, engineering and math,” Gerard Putz, Science Olympiad president and co-founder, said in a news release. “We are proud of their achievements and know their schools and communities will welcome them home like champions.”
Science Olympiad is a Chicago-area-based national nonprofit organization founded in 1984. It is dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 STEM education, increasing student interest in science, creating a technologically literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. More than 220,000 students on 7,300 teams from all 50 states competed in 390 regional, state and national Science Olympiad tournaments last year.
“The team is already building and planning for next year,” Benskin said. “We are edging into the truly elite of Science Olympiad and next year we will be in the middle of the fight!”