Annual Science Olympiad to convene at ChattState The annual Science Olympiad will be held at Chattanooga State Technical Community College on February 21. Competition begins at 8:45 a.m. and the day ends with an awards program at 3:30 p.m.

Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit 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. Teams of 15 students work on their teamwork and problem solving skills throughout the year in preparation for each of the events. There are multiple events in earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computers and technology that follow the format of popular board games, TV shows and athletic games. Events in the Science Olympiad have been designed to recognize the wide variety of skills that students possess. While some events require knowledge of scientific facts and concepts, others rely on science processes, skills or applications.

“I invite any school concerned about declining achievement in science classes who hope to see student interest in science increase,” says Dr. Dave Stanislawski, professor of chemistry at Chattanooga State and state director for the Science Olympiad. “Our hope is to capture the same kind of interest, enthusiasm, and commitment for science that we see exhibited for sports.” Local educators are invited to become part of the renaissance in science education by starting a Science Olympiad team in your school. Science Olympiad Tournaments are geared toward grades K-12. In addition, the program is aligned with the National Science Standards and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) recommendations. Schools that participate in the tournament have shown an increase in their students’ scores and interest in science.

The fee for the event is $200 per team. There is no late registration fee, however, registration forms submitted after December 15, 2008 are given a spot only if there is space left at the site where the team has chosen to compete. Teams new to the event will be offered a discount. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville will pay $100 toward the registration fee for new teams plus the $50 registration fee for one coach to attend the Tennessee Science Olympiad Coaches' Workshop in the fall. For further details and registration information, call Dr. Stanislawski at (423) 697-3119.