MIT Bound

Waynflete in lights at the 2014 National Science Olympiad

On January 24, a team from Waynflete will be heading to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to compete against 64 high schools from the northeast in a Science Olympiad hosted by MIT.  Waynflete’s team of 15 has been working hard to prepare for the Olympiad’s 23 events.

According to the the tournament website, “Science Olympiad at MIT is an undergraduate student group founded in fall 2013 by Connor Duffy ’17 and Kenny Friedman ’17 with the mission of improving the Science Olympiad experience of high school students in Massachusetts and the greater northeast region.  Throughout the school year, the members of Science Olympiad at MIT volunteered at Science Olympiad tournaments across New England, running events and helping out behind the scenes at the Yale invitational, Merrimack invitational, Massachusetts state tournament, and New Hampshire state tournament.  Their ultimate goal, however, has been to host a tournament of their own at MIT — and so they will do, on January 24, 2015.”

According to Waynflete’s Science Chair Wendy Curtis, she and Carol Titterton are “coaching kids in 23 different events, many of which involve building something. Sometimes we’re working with kids who’ve never built anything and are intimidated by the whole process. It’s worth it to see them accomplish something they never thought they could do. To see them go from blank stares to excited trouble shooting – “well, what if I tried….” as we slowly back away and watch the processes – that’s what I love.”

Waynflete’s Olympiad teams have enjoyed great success in the Maine State Science Olympiad for many years. Here are links to articles from last year: Waynflete Repeats as State Science Olympiad Champs; On to the Science Olympiad Nationals; Science Olympiad Team Represents Maine at National Tournament in Orlando Florida; Science Olympian at the Nationals Video.

Waynflete will also compete again in the Maine State Science Olympiad.  We will send two teams, totaling 30 students. Preparation begins shortly after the trip to Cambridge.  We will also send a team of 15 to the middle school tournament.  Go Green.