Students from all over the region will converge at Grand Valley State University for the annual Michigan Science Olympiad tournament thisSaturday, March 24.
The competing students represent 35 area high schools and 51 area middle schools from all around Kent and Ottawa counties. The events, ranging from Science Crime Buster to Cow-A-Bungee, are fun for the students but also involve serious scientific concepts. Winners move on to a state competition, where four teams from Michigan will advance to this year's National Science Olympiad May 18 - 19, 2001 at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Competition begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and continues until 3:30 p.m. on GVSU's Allendale campus. Events will take place in the GVSU Fieldhouse, Padnos Hall of Science, Manitou Hall and the Kirkhof Center. An awards ceremony is scheduled for 4:30-6 p.m. in the Fieldhouse.
GVSU's Regional Math and Science Center coordinates the event. This year's competition is the 17th regional event hosted by GVSU. In 1998, Grand Valley was the first non-research institution to host the National Science Olympiad. The event has become an important extension of GVSU's education and community service missions.
