Science Olympiad

Golden Hills School has participated in the Science Olympiad Competition for many years. The team is run by GHS parents, and with oversight by our science teacher, Mr. Keefe, this is the only parent-led extra curricular activity at GHS. Students that choose to participate and be a member of this team understand there is substantial time commitment outside of school hours to study, build, and test themselves and their partners, as well as attendance at local, state, and even national competitions.

In grades 6-12, Science Olympiad functions much like a sports team, requiring preparation, commitment, coaching and practice throughout the year. Students can expect to spend an average of 6-10 hours per week attending workshops, studying, testing, preparing materials, and building devices. Parent leaders spent an average of 10-12 hours per week researching topics, building practice tests, attending workshops, and assisting their student team

Each school team is allowed to bring 15 students who cross-train for a variety of events in their skillset. Most competing schools are very large, and have multiple teams of students with placement among the teams based on their tested ability. GHS is a small school with a talented pool of students, so many of our students cover a few different events at each competition. Despite our team’s size and multiple event coverage, GHS has repeatedly placed well in the Regional Competition, and in the past two years has moved forward to the State Competition.

Students on the GHS Science Olympiad team prove their mettle with hard work, dedication, and amazing results. Participation in this organization allows for development of teamwork along with prioritization of different responsibilities. Golden Hills School’s culture of academic excellence pairs well with the dedication required to be a team member in Science Olympiad.

Information on the Science Olympiad Organization

Science Olympiad is an international non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. These goals are accomplished through classroom activities, research, training workshops and the encouragement of intramural, district, regional, state and national tournaments. Science Olympiad tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of team events, which students prepare for during the year. Science Olympiad fosters interest in STEM for elementary, middle, and high school students in an organized fashion with older student, teacher, and parent mentorship. In addition, SciOly as an organization has given away over $1.2 million in scholarships and grants. Team challenges involve building devices that accomplish tasks or meet goals, taking tests, and laboratory events. Science Olympiad’s mission is to foster a love and passion for STEM for all students nationwide. 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.