STATE TOURNAMENT Saturday, April 6, 2024
https://scilympiad.com/me/Reg


Science Olympiad is a nationwide STEM competition where students compete in 23 events that include math, writing, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.  As a team and multiple event competition it allows middle school and high school students a chance to learn about STEM areas that they might not get a chance to study in a regular classroom setting.  Preparing for the Science Olympiad competitions involve design, studying new content areas, journaling, device-building, testing, lab work, written exams, and even kinesthetic challenges and technical writing.  The frenetic pace of the day of the tournament is often compared to a multi-school track meet or swimming competition...

As an example, two members of an up-to-15 person team might compete in an ornithology event, including identification of bird specimens, bird calls, and testing of knowledge of avian diets, habitats and ranges. At the same time another team of two might be taking a quiz on fossils or crystals.  Testing and lab activities could cover forensics, or include the chemistry of identifying unknown liquids and solids, and basic tests with titrations and pH.  Physics labs may include electricity or optics.  Engineering events (also known as "build events") might involve running trials with robots, mousetrap-powered cars, ramp-launched carts, projectiles, or even a air pressure bottle rocket or a flying contraption.

As a Saturday afternoon competition, students will be accompanied by siblings, designated coaches and chaperones, parents and extra students from their schools, bringing a science and engineering festival atmosphere to the day.  Modelled after a giant track & field meet, the work a school can form teams of interested students from science classes, afterschool clubs, engineering programs, or maker spaces.  Science Olympiad begins with planning in September and goes all the way to our state tournaments that send teams to the Science Olympiad National Tournament in May.

Science Olympiad is designed to increase a student’s interest in multiple STEM fields and provide recognition for outstanding achievement both as individuals and as a team of 2 or 3, or even 15. The school that has the highest performing overall team is invited to the National Tournament and an unforgettable travel experience!  Read more at http://www.soinc.org


Maine holds an annual spring State Tournament open to all schools in the state.  The host for the State Touranment and State Directors Office is the University of Maine System, with the primary location in Orono-Old Town/Bangor with the University of Maine.  Maine has had a State Touranment since the first national year of Science Olympiad in the mid 1980's, and it has been held every year since.  The Maine State Science Olympiad Organization operates as a non-profit organization of teachers, following IRS non-profit 501 (c) 3 guidelines.
2024 Events & RulesThese will release in September 2023:  See the Science Olympiad Store.
https://store.soinc.org/


MySO Continues!
Students can work on Science Olympiad from wherever they are, year-round!
https://www.soinc.org/myso

2024 Maine State Science Olympiad Tournament

The Maine State Science Olympiad Tournament is set for Saturday, April 6, 2024 with the final date coordinated to avoid conflicts with the Maine State Science Fair and the Maine Science Festival, and other statewide events where possible.  A snow date will be Saturday, April 27, 2024, the weekend after the traditional April break for schools. (If a pandemic were ever to return, we would move back to virtual competition such as we did for 2021.)


Additional support provided by volunteers from:
Best Buy, Bangor, Maine
and science volunteers from around the State of Maine