High School Science Students Shine at SoCal State Science Olympiad

Over a thousand middle and high school students and their families and friends, hailing from 62 schools across Southern California, gathered at Caltech on Saturday, April 8, for the annual SoCal State Science Olympiad Tournament.

The annual daylong science and engineering tournament was hosted at Caltech by the Caltech Science Olympiad Team and the Caltech Y. The event provides an opportunity for students to test their wits in a wide range of written and hands-on activities, including everything from tests on anatomy and minerals to engineering bottle rockets and helicopters.

Students in middle school and high school divisions completed in 25 events, and the six teams from each division with the highest scores received trophies. The first-place middle school team, Oak Valley Middle School, and the first-place high school team, Troy High School, advance to the national tournament at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, on May 19–20.

More than 80 Caltech undergraduates and graduate students as well as additional alumni, staff, and individuals from neighboring universities and colleges volunteered at the event.