The University of Vermont issued the following announcement.
High School teams from across Vermont competed in the recent 2022 Science Olympiad competition hosted by the University of Vermont in early April. Six teams from four different schools participated in the state's annual competition, including Burr and Burton Academy (1st place), St. Johnsbury Academy Hilltoppers (2nd place), Peoples Academy 1 (3rd place), Essex High School, St. Johnsbury Trail Blazers, and Peoples Academy 2.
Science Olympiad aims to boosts K-12 student and teacher participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through exciting tournaments that showcase innovative STEM content. The 65 Vermont students who participated this year were supported by their teachers/coaches, 30 UVM graduate students who designed and judged the various events, and a group of 25 UVM faculty, staff, and students who coordinated the competition.
“I cannot begin to tell you in how many ways this competition changed our students,” said Burr and Burton Science Teacher and Department Chair Rebecca Allen. “Each of our kids brought something and overcame something. Students are so busy and overcommitted that they don't always just try things, especially new things. These kids were happy just getting the opportunity to go. We did a lot of coaching around how to be positive, how to laugh at failure, and how to break down the competition into manageable parts. I told my co-coaches that no matter what, we are going to buy these kids breakfast and ice cream as a department.”
Vermont’s Science Olympiad competition is led by Vermont State Tournament Director Leon Walls, an associate professor in the Department of Education at UVM. Co-sponsors include UVM Extension 4-H Programs, the College of Education and Social Services (CESS), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS), and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).
Essex High School team competing in the 2022 Vermont Science Olympiad at UVM.
Science Olympiad functions much like a team sport requiring preparation, commitment, coaching and practice. School-based teams can bring up to 15 students in grades 9-12 who cross-train for a variety of events in their skill set. Events emphasizes active, hands-on group participation or tests of knowledge. Students, educators, community mentors and other leaders work together toward a shared goal. Because teamwork is a required skill in most scientific careers today, the Science Olympiad encourages group learning through events that forge alliances.
By combining events from a variety of disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Vermont’s competition featured a series of 14 different events across a wide range of disciplines, including the following:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Chemistry Lab
- Code Busters
- Disease Detectives
- Dynamic Planet
- Environmental Chemistry
- Experimental Design
- Gravity Vehicle
- Green Generation
- Ornithology
- Remote Sensing
- Trajectory
- Wright Stuff
- Write It Do It
“One of 4-H's main areas of focus is science, and we already have a wealth of programming in this area,” said UVM 4-H Teen and Leadership Program Coordinator Lauren Traister. “We offer programs that engage youth in animal sciences, robotics, coding, natural resources, engineering and so much more. We host monthly teen science cafes and offer Summer of Science workshops. Adding the Vermont Science Olympiad to our portfolio of opportunities that we offer youth just made sense. We are proud to partner with the College of Education and Social Service and hope to continue growing the program so more youth can gain these critical STEM and life skills.”
People's Academy students in their creative shirts at the 2022 Vermont Science Olympiad.
Employment in STEM occupations has grown 79% since 1990, from 9.7 million to more than 17.3 million today, outpacing overall U.S. job growth. In 2018, the Pew Research Center estimated that 71% of all jobs required STEM skills.
Science Olympiad lights pathways to apprenticeships, college and careers while developing essential employability skills such as communication, organization, and teamwork – identified as the three top soft skills in new employees according to a LinkedIn survey of hiring managers.
Extracurricular programs like Science Olympiad offer young adults with a glimpse into the future by providing opportunities for mentoring and achieving results. More than three in four female students interested in STEM who have a mentor feel they will be successful pursuing a STEM career.
“I am so grateful to all the planning and work that went into this day,” said Allen. “I know it is a lot of work to put together one of these competitions, and I was excited to see everything I loved about Science Olympiad as a kid come through in my students.”
Original source can be found here.
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