FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Young Scientists Compete in Valley's First Science Olympiad

Yakima, Wash.— Middle School students from throughout the Yakima Valley are putting their scientific prowess to the test as they compete in the first South Central Washington Science Olympiad (SCWSO) on Saturday, February 9.

Unlike traditional science fairs where kids create and show individual projects, Science Olympiad brings together teams of students for group competition.  Each team has 13 competing members and several alternates.  They break into small groups of two or three for each of the 23 competition events that range from math and engineering to anatomy and botanical sciences.  The team with the top overall score will move onto the state competition in April.  The winner of that competition will move onto the national event in May.

“This is collaborative, competitive science,” said Cresanna Zeigler, tournament director and chemical hygiene officer and adjunct faculty at Heritage University. “These students have practiced and studied throughout the year so they can perform at the higher level required for these events.”

Science Olympiad is a national program that started 29 years ago and has been active in Washington State for more than two decades.  Prior to this year, teams from central Washington had to travel to Spokane or west of the Cascades to compete; something that was often cost prohibitive.  Bringing the event to central Washington was a collaborative effort between Educational Service District 105 (ESD105), Heritage University, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU), University of Washington GEAR-Up, and Yakima Valley Community College (YVCC).

“One of the great things about Science Olympiad is that it takes science out of the classroom and lets students learn to stretch their thinking with application and creativity around working science. The excitement and environment it creates among students who are part of the teams is directly what top STEM companies are looking for,” said Jewel Brumley, a biological technician and administrator at Washington Middle School and member of the SCWSO board of directors.

The event is being held on the YVCC Yakima Campus in Glen Anthon Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Nine teams of students from the following schools are registered: East Valley Central Middle School, Yakima; Grandview Middle School, Grandview; Highlands Middle School, Kennewick; Selah Intermediate School (two teams), Selah; St. Joseph’s School, Kennewick; Three River’s HomeLink, Richland; Washington Middle School, Yakima; and West Valley Middle School, Yakima.

More information about Science Olympiad is available online at www.washingtonscienceolympiad.com or https://sites.google.com/site/scwashingtonscienceolympiad. For information on volunteering or making a donation to SCWSO, contact Dr. Diana Rhodes at drhodes@pnwu.edu or 509-249-7737.

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Heritage University is a non-profit, independent, regionally accredited institution of higher education offering undergraduate and graduate education across the state of Washington.