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Science Olympiad is one of the largest (and most exciting) K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) competitions in the country with over 8,000 teams competing annually. Many schools across the country will host an Olympiad invitational throughout the Fall to help schools prepare for the Regional and State tournaments in February and March. Since 2019, Louisiana Tech University has hosted the ONLY invitational in the region of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Louisiana Tech will also be the host site for the regional tournament in March 2024.
Not having a nearby invitational creates a severe disadvantage for students in our area preparing for competitions, and we want to erase that disadvantage. UTeachTech has the capacity and mission focus to host an invitational as we have many STEM students who can help with the endeavor. We also feel that we will be showcasing our university to bright young STEM students – and their parents – throughout our region.
Started in 1984, 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.
Teamwork is a required skill in most scientific careers today, and Science Olympiad encourages group learning by designing events that forge alliances. The Science Olympiad beliefs and model of competition fits perfectly with our philosophies in UTeachTech of teaching through hands-on experiences and with the Living with the Lab model in engineering. There are also events in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer Science – that Louisiana Tech is uniquely capable of facilitating on our campus, especially with our new IDEA Place (coming in December) and the new College of Engineering and Sciences building – which we plan to feature for the invitational.
