Dear Teacher, Principal, Gifted/Talented Coordinator and/or School Board member,
I would like to invite you to review the enclosed brochure about Science Olympiad. Science Olympiad is a national organization dedicated to the improvement of education through team competitions in science, math and engineering. For the past 25 years, Science Olympiad has been fostering interest and enthusiasm amongst students for further study in these exciting academic fields.
As an eighth grade Earth Science teacher, I have seen firsthand the benefits that this program brings to my students. My own experience with Science Olympiad began as an advisor to our school’s team about 10 years ago which gradually transitioned into a co-coach position. Just last year, I was invited to be the junior high/middle school state director.
In Science Olympiad, there is a place for every student who wants to be involved. There is a competition division for grades 6-8 (Division B) and for grades 9-12 (Division C). In addition, there is an elementary experiential program in place nationally. In our middle school, we invite all students to attend a team meeting once a week after school. These team meetings allow each of the coaches to interact with each team member, building strong relationships between the students and coaches. Smaller groups of students arrange study sessions with the coaches and other teachers in our building to further explore topics in question. Our team attends a regional and state competition each year. Students are excited to compare their academic performance with other students in our state and they seem to appreciate the camaraderie amongst their teammates.
The benefits to the students I’ve observed include having a atmosphere in which to belong, confidence in using skills learned in class for a competition (and also using skills learned for competition in class) and of course, bragging rights for the school’s achievements.
I encourage you to pass this informational brochure to any teacher on your staff that believes science, math, engineering and problem solving are important life skills that must be brought to the forefront of education. I’d like your school to start a lasting tradition of excellence in the Science Olympiad program. Please contact me for answers to any questions you may have regarding this opportunity.
Thank you,
Brandi Hansmeyer
Kenwood Trail Middle School
Lakeville, MN
Minnesota Science Olympiad, Division B Director