University News
23rd Annual Illinois Science Olympiad Regional Competition Feb. 13
February 2, 2010
MACOMB, IL -- More than 300 middle/junior high and high school students will visit Western Illinois University Saturday, Feb. 13 to demonstrate their scientific knowledge and scientific technological skills during the 23rd Annual Illinois Science Olympiad Regional competition.
"Science Olympiad is not a science fair," said Don Powers, director of the Maurice G. Kellogg Science Education Center at Western. "It is more like a track-and-field meet with science events. It emphasizes practice, teamwork, competition and recognition with a goal of getting students excited about science so they will be interested in pursuing careers in scientific and technology-related fields. The energy at the tournament feels like a carnival instead of a scholastic competition."
The Regional Science Olympiad is comprised of 46 events -- 23 events for middle/junior high school students and 23 events for high school students -- in the areas of biology, chemistry, astronomy, earth science, physics, computers, health sciences and technology. Powers noted the events promote teamwork, group planning and cooperation while allowing students to participate in risk-taking, strategic-thinking and decision-making activities.
Opening ceremonies are slated to begin at 8:15 a.m. in the University Union Grand Ballroom. The daylong event will feature nine middle/junior high teams and 13 high school teams participating in different activities and competitions across the campus. The following west-central and central Illinois schools will participate (division C is for grades 9-12; division B is for grades 6-9):
FULTON COUNTY
Canton - - Canton High School (div. C) and Ingersoll Middle School (div. B)
Farmington -- Farmington Central High School (div. C) and Farmington Central Junior High School (div. B)
Lewistown - - Lewistown High School (div. C, two teams) and Lewiston Central Grade School (div. B)
HANCOCK COUNTY
Hamilton -- Hamilton High School (div. C) and Hamilton Junior High School (div. B)
HENDERSON COUNTY
Stronghurst -- West Central Middle School (div. B)
MASON COUNTY
Mason City - - Illini Central High School (div. C)
MCDONOUGH COUNTY
Macomb -- Macomb High School (div. C) and Macomb Junior High School (div. B)
Sciota -- West Prairie High School (div. C)
MENARD COUNTY
Petersburg -- PORTA High School (div. C) and PORTA Junior High School (div. B)
MERCER COUNTY
Aledo -- Mercer County High School (div. C, two teams) and Mercer County Junior High School (div. B)
PIKE COUNTY
Perry -- Griggsville-Perry Middle School (div. B)
SANGAMON COUNTY
Rochester High School (div. C)
WARREN COUNTY
Monmouth and Roseville -- Monmouth-Roseville High School (div. C)
There will be competition in such events as: "Wright Stuff" (Brophy Hall gym) in which students design, build and test rubber band-powered airplanes; "It's about Time" (Horrabin Hall), an event in which students build and test their own timing devices; and "Mousetrap Vehicle," "Trajectory" and "Elevated Bridge Building" events (Horrabin Hall). The biology department (Waggoner Hall) will host events related to cells, bio-processes and ornithology; the physics department (Currens Hall) will hold a physics lab and a technical problem-solving event; the chemistry department (Currens Hall) will conduct chemistry lab, environmental chemistry and forensics events for high school students and a science "crime busters" competition for the middle/junior high school students; the health sciences department will sponsor "Disease Detectives" events; and the WIU School of Nursing will host anatomy- and physiology-related events.
During the Olympiad's closing ceremonies, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Union's Grand Ballroom, the Science Olympiad regional competition organizers will announce the individual event winners, as well as the teams that will be advancing to the Illinois Science Olympiad State Tournament, which will be held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on April 10.
The 23rd Regional Science Olympiad is hosted by the Maurice G. Kellogg Science Education Center (housed in WIU's curriculum and instruction department) and the College of Education and Human Services. Additional support is obtained by the faculty and students in the departments of biological sciences, chemistry, geology, physics, engineering technology, health sciences, mathematics, military science, the WIU School of Nursing, as well as teachers from local schools.
The Science Olympiad competition is a national pre-collegiate program designed to increase student interest in science, to improve the quality of science education in both middle and high schools and to provide recognition for outstanding achievement in science. It began in Illinois in 1985; today, the Olympiad has members in all 50 states totaling more than 12,000 actively participating K-12 schools.
For more information, contact Powers at (309) 298-1258 or DT-Powers@wiu.edu. A complete schedule of events is available at www.wiu.edu/users/sced/iso.html. Learn more about the Illinois Science Olympiad at www.illinoisolympiad.org.
Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
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