ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Hundreds of middle school and high school students put their science skills to the test during the annual Science Olympiad regional competition at Rock Valley College Saturday.
Students from the Rockford and Elgin areas competed in dozens of science and engineering challenges for a chance to advance to the state competition.
RVC Life Science Professor and event coordinator Elizabeth Russo says the event gives students a chance to apply what they’re learning in the classroom.
“Each group has 26 different events. They range from biology events, engineering events, computer events and science inquiry events,” said Russo. “Some of the events are tests, and some they build devices like a car or a helicopter, and they’re competing for which one is best.”
Russo says the program brings science to life through hands-on learning.
“All these events are STEM-based, and the students get to do a lot of hands-on activities,” Russo said. “A lot of these kids go on to major in STEM careers in college.”
Eighth grade Rockford Christian students Grayson Szeto and Landon Moore say months of preparation went into their competition events.
The pair spent weeks designing and testing a small helicopter powered by a rubber band.
“It was just a lot of learning about other stuff like just testing and testing over again. So, it was just a lot of trial and error,” said Szeto.
Both students say the process taught them an important lesson.
“You’re not going to get it right first try every time. It’s just like got to keep tweaking things, just don’t give up that first time,” said Szeto.
“It’s going to be hard. Things are going to fall out of your hands,” said Moore.
Coaches say perseverance is one of the biggest things students gain from the program.
“You get frustrated you keep going and sometimes in the end you get it and sometimes you don’t, but you don’t give up and you just keep trying and learning and redoing and that’s all part of the scientific process. Learn, explore, grow.
Rockford Christian High School coach Jennifer Downey says students are able to explore a wide range of science topics through the competition’s events.
“Sometimes they find these little niche hobbies that are kind of fun with entomology and insects and trees and leaves and all the classification events that are there,” said Downey.
Rockford Christian middle school coach Mike Manke says the program also helps students develop teamwork and confidence.
“I think Grayson and Landon are great examples, and the fact that for three years, we’ve been trying to get them involved in Science Olympiad and this year they finally widened horizons and that’s a state helicopter they flew and the confidence they found,” said Manke. “They have come such a long way and it’s really special.”
The top teams from Saturday’s regional competition advance to the Illinois Science Olympiad state tournament at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in April. From there, the best teams will move on to the national competition.
Downey says the goal is always to win state.
“Sometimes we get it sometimes we don’t, but the fun is in the try,” said Downey.
Rockford Christan’s Middle and High School teams will be headed to state.
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