About

You’ve found the home for Washington Science Olympiad (WSO)! The Board of Directors wish to welcome you to our website, which is part of the national Science Olympiad program. Each year we strive to increase the quality of K-12 science education by providing learning opportunities and hosting Regional and State Tournaments. We’re looking forward to another great year of helping to improve science education throughout Washington.

Currently, more than 160 middle and high schools representing over 3,000 students in Washington are participating in the Science Olympiad. In 2019 alone, WSO had over 1,000 volunteers involved in reaching middle and high school students for science. The challenging and motivating events of WSO align with the Washington State Learning Standards as well as the National Science Education Standards. The events are designed to enhance and strengthen both science content and process skills. The National Science Education Standards hails Science Olympiad as an example that “illustrates the close relationship between teaching and assessment. The assessment tasks are developmentally appropriate for young children, including recognition of students’ physical skills and cognitive abilities” (NRC, 1996, p 39).

High school students work to identify a specimen in the Rocks & Minerals event during a Regional Tournament at the University of Washington in 2019. (Photo Credit: George Sun)

Students from Bothell High School activate their Mousetrap Vehicle, designed to push a cup to a set target distance, during a Regional Tournament at the University of Washington in 2018. (Photo Credit: Julian O’Leary)

Science Olympiad is an international non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, creating a passion for learning science and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. These goals are accomplished through classroom activities, research, professional development workshops and the encouragement of Regional, State, and National Tournaments.

At a Science Olympiad tournament, students work together in teams of up to 15 to compete in 23 events. The events change from year to year, covering fields and topics including: anatomy and biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, geology, mechanical and structural engineering, and technology. Some events entail taking a test, while others involve doing hands-on labs, or even building and bringing a device to the tournament.

Each Science Olympiad season begins in September, when the event rules are released and registration opens. Teams then spend several months preparing for their Regional Tournament in winter or spring of the next year. The top teams from each Regional Tournament go on to compete at the State Tournament in April, vying for the title of State Champion and the opportunity to represent Washington at the National Tournament in May.

Science Olympiad is divided into three grade-based divisions: Division A (grades 4-6) emphasizes meeting event standards rather than competition, Division B (grades 6-9) introduces middle school-level STEM challenges, and Division C (grades 9-12) expands on those with more advanced high school topics. Washington Science Olympiad is proud to offer opportunities in all three divisions.

A student examines a structure they must describe in written instructions for their partner to replicate during the Write It Do It event at a Regional Tournament at the University of Washington in 2019. (Photo Credit: George Sun)