You'll be in good company. Last year 271 teams representing more than 4,000 Ohio students and teachers participated in the fun and learning that are inherent in the competition. Ohio has been part of the National Science Olympiad program for 28 years, and state participation ranks in the top seven of 48 states currently involved in this program.What is the Science Olympiad?
The Science Olympiad is a national nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science and providing recognition of outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. These goals are accomplished through classroom activities, research, training workshops and the encouragement of intramural, district, regional, state and national tournaments. The Science Olympiad Tournaments are academic interscholastic competitions, which consist of a series of 23 individual and team events students prepare for during the year. These challenging and motivational events are well balanced between the various science disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, computers, and technology. There is also a balance between events requiring knowledge of science facts, concepts, processes, skills and application.Although Science Olympiad is a competitive event, most events are team competitions requiring teamwork, group planning, and cooperation. The emphasis is on learning, participation, interaction, having fun, and developing team spirit.
Team Membership in Science Olympiad
Each school team must register and pay a membership fee. The team membership fee entitles one team to participate in the Science Olympiad program and includes the state tournament. No more than two teams from an individual school may register, space permitting at the regional tournament, and each team must pay the full membership fee. Only one team per school may advance from the regional level to the state level.Divisions/Grade Levels/Team Composition
There are four Science Olympiad Divisions: Division A - grades K-6; Division B - grades 6-9; and Division C - grades 9-12. For information on Division A, please contact the National Science Olympiad office at 630-792-1251.Division B teams are allowed a maximum of five (5) ninth grade students. In Division C, a maximum of seven (7) twelfth grade students on a team is permitted. There will be no national or state tournaments for Division A; schools may wish to initiate local, school district, or regional competitions.
A team consists of a maximum of 15 students. A maximum of two teams per division per school may compete. Schools with less than 200 students may combine with another small school (total attendance of both schools not to exceed 500 students) in order to create one team of 15 students. Each team must participate in a regional tournament in order to qualify for state or national competition. A team may participate in one or all of the events within its division.
Public School Students
Public school students may participate in Science Olympiad only as members of a team that is formed in the local public school that they attend. In the case of 9th graders, public school students may compete on the team from the middle school that they most recently attended. Public school students may not opt to participate on another school's team.Private, Charter and Alternative School Students
Private schools, charter schools, and any other school that is qualified by the state and is housed in a single geographic location, may create Science Olympiad teams from any student in their student body, regardless of where their homes of origin are located. They may not solicit or enlist either public school or home-schooled students to participate on their teams.Cyber or Virtual School (Online) Students
Option 1 - Participation through a Local Public School. Cyber/virtual school students may either choose to participate as a member of the Science Olympiad team at the local public school they would attend were they not enrolled in the cyber/virtual school or form a cyber/virtual school team from among the students in that school's student body as if they were students in a private/charter school as outlined above. A student may only participate on a single team.Option 2 - Participation solely through a State-Recognized Cyber or Virtual School. Since Ohio recognizes and financially supports cyber/virtual schools, Science Olympiad will also recognize cyber/virtual school teams consisting only of students who are enrolled at that cyber/virtual school. Such schools may not solicit or enlist public school, private school or home-schooled students on their teams.
Home-Schooled Students
Option 1 - Participation through a local public school. If a home-school student is affiliated with a public school they would attend were they not home-schooled, the student must choose between the home-school team and the public school team.Option 2 - Participation through a home-school team. Science Olympiad will recognize Home-School Teams consisting only of students who live within the boundaries of two contiguous (side-by-side) geographic counties in a single state. As of July 20, 2011, the two contiguous-county/single state policy will apply to all Science Olympiad Home-School Teams who wish to attend the 2013 Science Olympiad National Tournament, and Science Olympiad will no longer qualify multi-county or multi-state Home-School Teams.
Registration
Go to www.ced.osu.edu/scioly/" for online registration. It's quick and easy!The state competition registration fee is $185.00 per 15 member team before November 16, 2012. The fee increases to $200.00 per team if registration and payment are received between November 17, 2012 and December 31, 2012. The registration deadline is December 31, 2012. Teams must compete in a regional tournament in order to qualify for the state competition. Regional tournaments are held in eight locations throughout the state. Once a team's registration and payment are received, the Science Olympiad Rules Manual for the appropriate division will be sent to the coach. Registrations cannot be accepted over the phone.
The registration fee includes:
- - Eligibility to participate in the 2012/2013 Science Olympiad Program
- - One copy of either the Division B or Division C Science Olympiad Rules Manual. Extra manuals for registered teams are available from the state office if available for $10.00 each.
Sixty dollars ($60.00) of each registration fee is sent to the National Science Olympiad office to cover costs of administering the overall national program including the development of new programs, fund raising, printing the manuals and organizing the national tournament. The remainder of the fee stays in the state Science Olympiad office to cover costs of administering the overall state program.
Cancellation Policy
A $50.00 processing and manual fee will be charged for any team cancellation prior to January 1, 2013. Teams cancelling on or after January 1, 2013 will not receive a refund of the registration fee.Rules Manuals
The manuals are printed by the National Science Olympiad office in late August. The manuals are then sent to the state directors for distribution. Manuals will be sent when registration and payment have been received.Regional Tournaments
Each county has been assigned to a specific tournament. Teams must participate in the regional tournament to which they are assigned in the email message that precedes the rules manual. Changes in regional tournament assignment will not be made for any reason. Assignment to each regional tournament will be determined on a first come basis, and several regional tournaments will accept one team per school with the second team being placed on a waiting list and accommodated if space is available. Please see the Regional Tournament schedule at www.ced.osu.edu/scioly/ for specific information. If your regional site is filled, your team will be placed on a waiting list. Position on the waiting list will be determined by the date on which the registration is received.Each regional tournament is funded through different local sources. Depending on the funding available in your region, it may be necessary for your team to pay an additional regional tournament fee. You can find information about your specific regional tournament and any additional fees at www.ced.osu.edu/scioly/ and click on Regional Tournaments. Organizing and conducting a regional tournament requires significant resources. Science Olympiad at all levels relies on donations, grants, in-kind donations, and volunteer efforts. Costs that are not covered by any of these means must be passed back to the teams.
