Seven hundred students, forty-seven teams, forty-six events, and fifty-eight different rooms: there are not many scientific competitions out there that are as challenging, or as much fun, as the Akron Regional Science Olympiad hosted by the Akron Global Polymer Academy. On March 10, 2018, students of all ages from dozens of middle and high schools flocked to The University of Akron’s campus with their smarts and their excitement to learn.
These students, ranging from sixth to twelfth grade, began preparing months ago. They needed to learn as much as they could about three to five different scientific pursuits in order to compete with their team. Each school’s team of fifteen students must cover 23 events. At each event a timer is set, and within that time frame teams must design a project, finish a task, or complete a test.
Events in this competition consist of topics related to programming, earth science, chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, technology, and many others. Bringing all of these very different disciplines to the competition encourages students from anywhere on the STEM spectrum to participate and allows for group learning and team building, which are both incredibly important skills in most scientific careers today.
The Akron Global Polymer Academy has hosted the competition for over ten years and continues to seek new sponsors to provide funding for this incredible event. A huge endeavor like this would not be possible without the help of coaches, supervisors, and volunteers who organized events, wrote and graded tests, and judged contests. Thanks to them and to the dedication of the AGPA, the 2018 Regional Science Olympiad was a success.