CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The state finals of the Illinois Science Olympiad will be held April 29 at the University of Illinois. The event, which begins at 9 a.m., is part of a national competition in which middle and high school students compete in 24 events involving science concepts and engineering skills. The public is invited to attend.
“Approximately 1,100 of the top technical students from around the state are expected to participate in the event,” said Howard Guenther, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “The day will be filled with academic competition, spiced with the spirit of an athletic event,” said Guenther, who is university liaison and site coordinator for the Olympiad.
Area schools that qualified for the competition are Bloomington High School; Tuscola High School; St. Matthew School, Champaign; Edison Middle School, Champaign; and Urbana Middle School.
The competition covers a diverse assortment of disciplines with events such as designing and building a rocket from a two-liter bottle to be launched with compressed air and judged by the time aloft, and designing and building a device to transport an egg eight to 12 meters as quickly as possible in a straight line. Other events include cell biology, water quality and crime science.
“This should be a fun day for everyone involved – students, parents, teachers and friends,” Guenther said. “Some schools are even bringing cheerleaders and pep bands.”
Most of the tournament competition will take place on the Quad or in nearby buildings. A schedule of activities will be available in 161 Noyes Lab, 505 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana. An awards ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium, 709 S. Matthews Ave., Urbana.
