The Science Olympiad for youth from East Idaho recently took place at Idaho State University’s campus. Hosted by the Department of Physics at ISU, the event attracted five teams of sixth through ninth-grade students from local middle schools. These participants competed in various STEM-related events such as forensics, epidemiology, and experimental design.
The purpose of the Science Olympiad was to provide young scientists and engineers with an opportunity to test their knowledge outside of a classroom setting while having fun. Steve Shropshire, a professor of physics at Idaho State University, emphasized the importance of hands-on learning and practical application of scientific concepts.
Apart from individual awards, teams were also recognized based on their collective scores. Pocatello Community Charter School emerged as the overall winner, receiving a trophy and a $200 cash award from the Pocatello Kiwanis Club to support science education. Hawthorne Middle School and Grace Lutheran Middle School secured second and third place respectively, each earning a trophy and monetary prize.
The success of the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad would not have been possible without the dedication of volunteers from various departments at Idaho State University as well as support from organizations like the Pocatello Kiwanis Club and Idaho National Laboratory. Steve Shropshire expressed gratitude towards all volunteers for their commitment to promoting STEM education among young students.
For more information about the event or ISU’s Department of Physics, interested individuals can contact Steve Shropshire at shrostev@isu.edu or visit isu.edu/physics. The Science Olympiad served as a platform for local youth to showcase their interest and talent in STEM fields while highlighting the importance of hands-on learning experiences in these fields.
In summary, recent youth gathered on ISU’s campus for Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad where they competed in various STEM-related events such as forensics, epidemiology, experimental design etc., with top three individuals in each event receiving gold or silver medals respectively while also recognizing team scores based on their collective performance with Pocatello Community Charter School emerging as overall winner receiving a trophy and cash award worth $200 supported by Pocatello Kiwanis Club while Hawthorne Middle School and Grace Lutheran Middle School secured second and third place respectively earning trophies & monetary prizes each.
The event was made successful due to dedication & commitment shown by volunteers from different departments at ISU along with support provided by organizations like Pocatello Kiwanis Club & Idaho National Laboratory while Steve Shropshire emphasized importance of hands-on learning & practical application of scientific concepts in this platform that highlighted STEM education among young students which is crucial in today’s world.