Revolutionizing Science Education
The 2013 IPFW Science Olympiad was held on February 2, 2013.
About the IPFW Science Olympiad
The Science Olympiad a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education, increasing male, female and minority interest in science, creating a technologically-literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers.
The Science Olympiad events fall into five broad categories:
- Life science
- Earth/space science
- Physical science
- Engineering
- Science inquiry
Jeffrey Nowak, associate professor of education and director of the northeast Indiana STEM Resource Center, and Ahmed Mustafa, associate professor of biology, are the co-directors of the IPFW Science Olympiad.
A typical IPFW Science Olympiad event day begins with team registration, followed by an opening ceremony, with competition following that ceremony. The awards ceremony will conclude the day's events. The public is invited to attend and observe all the events.
Each event competition is directed and judged by an IPFW faculty member or local expert in each field.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Science Olympiad? Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal.
- How long has Science Olympiad been in existence? Science Olympiad was started in 1984 and has now surpassed 25 years as an organized program of competitions.
- What constitutes a Science Olympiad Team? A Science Olympiad team is composed of up to fifteen students each for Divisions B and C. The team represents a school. The team must have aptitude and skill to cover 23 separate events. The rules for each event should be read thoroughly by the coach before choosing the team and again by each member of the team to be certain that everyone has the same understanding of the rules.
- Why should my school have a team? Science Olympiad develops broader student interest in science, technology and engineering. It is a broad-based competition that develops teamwork and skill across a diversity of student aptitude and interests. Science Olympiad events are designed to use a variety of intellectual and practical skills. Some events require a quick recall of specific facts, while others require concept development, a process skill, or an application of a specific concept. Some events require general knowledge while others require a specific skill. Others may require a student to build an apparatus. A few years ago a youngster in an introductory science class won the titration event. This young man had incredible manual dexterity. He could almost make a burette talk. He and a partner (a two-person team event) entered the titration race. He did the titration while his partner did the actual calculations. The winning combination in this case was someone who could master the physical manipulation teamed with someone to do the calculations. We encourage you to represent your entire school population on the team.
- How do teachers benefit from Science Olympiad? Not only do teachers broaden the involvement of a variety of students in their team but they also have an opportunity to find new material that can be introduced into their classrooms and make them better teachers.
- How many Science Olympiad tournaments are there in Indiana? There are currently nine regional tournaments and several invitational (or practice) tournaments around the state of Indiana. The regional tournaments are held in February. The state tournament is held in late March each year. The links to these events are included elsewhere on this site.
2014 Science Olympiad Forms Will Be Posted When Available
Official IPFW Science Olympiad Registration Checklist:
All teams that participated in the 2013 IPFW Science Olympiad Regional Tournament at IPFW must have had all forms filled out and submitted as outlined in the "Official Registration Checklist" below in order to compete. Updates will be made to the 2014 registration forms - stay tuned for updates closer to the date of the tournament.
- Waiver, Release, and Hold Harmless Form: Print and make copies (enough for every student) of these two forms. NO team will be allowed to compete without these forms; so be sure you have one form per student attending. These forms will be collected on February 2, 2013 at the Team Registration area. Registration will go faster if you have one set of forms per person stapled together and numbered in the right hand corner according to the team roster.
- Code of Conduct: Print and have the entire team including coaches, competitors, alternates, observers, and parents sign the code of conduct form. This form will be collected along with your medical consent and release for liability forms at the Team Registration area.
- Final Registration Form: Complete and submit the Final Registration Form. You will need complete name, mailing address, grade, and birth date for every student when filling out this form. Before submitting this form, please print out a copy and obtain your principal's signature at the bottom. The principal's signature is to verify that all the students are from your school and are in the grade that you've indicated. Note: The paper copy with principal's signature will be collected onsite along with the Talent Consent, Medical Consent, and Release from Liability forms. NO team will be allowed to compete without this form being completed.
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