Contact: James Magyar (401) 456-9697 (office) or (401) 345-5960 (cell) or jmagyar@ric.edu)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2013
Rhode Island College Hosts Science Olympiad on April 20
PROVIDENCE, RI – The annual Rhode Island Science Olympiad combines the excitement of basketball playoffs with the creativity of science and technology.
On Saturday, April 20, Rhode Island College will host the 24th Annual Rhode Island Science Olympiad, where approximately 600 middle and high school students, representing 42 schools in Rhode Island, will converge on campus to compete in science events that emphasize problem solving and the scientific process.
Students check in at the Donovan Dining Center at 8:45 and then are placed in teams of 15 young scientists who test their laboratory skills, engineering genius and knowledge of science in events that occur throughout the campus.
Competitions range from laboratory challenges to engineering tasks, including Mousetrap Vehicle, wherein students construct vehicles that use a mousetrap as the sole means of propulsion to reach a target as quickly, accurately and close to their predicted time as possible. In Robot Arm, they design, construct and control a robotic arm that is able to pick up nails, pencils and ping pong balls, and place them in specific containers. In Helicopters participants construct a helicopter that they hope will have the longest time aloft. And in Rotor Egg Drop, students design a device that uses one or more helicopter rotors to safely transport a raw chicken egg from a specified height to the floor.
Events run until 2:30 p.m. Awards are given out at 3:45 p.m. Winners of individual contests receive medals, while winning teams earn trophies.
In addition, first-place teams in each division will be eligible to represent Rhode Island at the National Science Olympiad at Wright State University on May 17 and 18.
The Science Olympiad is sponsored by Rhode Island College, the Rhode Island Science Teachers Association and by donations from individuals, business and professional organizations.
Division C Participating Schools (High School):
Barrington High School, Bishop Hendricken High School (Warwick), Burrillville High School, Central Falls High School, Chariho High School (Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton), Classical High School (Providence), Cranston High School East, Cranston High School West, East Greenwich High School, E-Cubed Academy (Providence), Hope High School (Providence), LaSalle Academy (Providence), Lincoln High School, Moses Brown (Providence), Mount Hope High School (Bristol/Warren), Mount St. CharlesAcademy (Woonsocket), North Providence High School, North Smithfield High School, Portsmouth High School, Providence Career and Technical Academy, Smithfield High School Toll Gate High School (Warwick), Warwick Veterans Memorial High School, Westerly High School, Wheeler School (Providence).
Division B Participating Schools (Middle School):
Barrington Middle School, Birchwood Middle School (North Providence), Chariho Middle School (Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton), Davisville Middle School (North Kingstown), Dr. E. A. Ricci School (North Providence), Gallagher Middle School (Smithfield), Hugh B. Bain Middle School (Cranston), Jamestown Middle School, Mount St. Charles Academy (Woonsocket), Nathan Bishop Middle School (Providence), Nathanael Greene Middle School (Providence), North Smithfield Middle School, Our Lady of Mercy (East Greenwich), Portsmouth MiddleSchool, Western Hills MiddleSchool (Cranston), Wheeler School (Providence), and Wickford Middle School (North Kingstown).
Complete List of Events:
High School Division Events: anatomyand physiology, astronomy, chemistrylab, circuit lab, designer genes, disease detectives,dynamic planet, elastic launched glider, experimental design, fermi questions, forensics, forestry, gravity vehicle, remote sensing, robot arm, rocks and minerals, thermodynamics, water quality, write it—do it, and invasive species (trial event).
Middle School Division Events: anatomy, boomilever, crime busters,diseasedetective, dynamic planet, experimental design, forestry, helicopters, heredity, keep the heat, meteorology, metric mastery, mission possible, mousetrap vehicle, reach for the stars, road scholar, rocks and minerals, rotor egg drop, shock value, sounds of music, water quality, write it—do it, and invasive species (trial event).
Events Open to the Public: Boomilever, Elastic Launched Gliders, Helicopters, Mission Possible, Mousetrap Vehicle, Robot Arm, and Science Bowl. The press is welcome to visit any event as long as they are accompanied by a Science Olympiad official volunteer.
