Local Middle, High School Students Compete in Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad at Idaho State University

Mind over muscle was on display at Idaho State University. 

The ISU Department of Physics recently hosted the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad in Pocatello. Eight teams from middle and high schools across the area competed in the day-long competition that tested their knowledge and experimental skills in events featuring Rube Goldberg machines, helicopters, wooden towers, and more.

“It was great to have so many future scientists and engineers on campus for the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad,” said Steve Shropshire, professor of physics at Idaho State University. “All of the participants were amazingly motivated and knowledgeable for their age. It was obvious that many of them spent a long time preparing for this competition.”

Students earning first, second, and third place in each event were presented with gold, silver, and bronze medals. Meanwhile, the teams with the highest composite score over all the events were awarded a $200, $150, or $50 cash award to support science education courtesy of the Pocatello Kiwanis Club. A pair of teams from Grace Lutheran Middle School took home first and third place, and rounding out the top three was a team from Franklin Middle School in second place.

The Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad was made possible by volunteers from Idaho State University’s Departments of Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Biological Sciences, as well as the Pocatello Kiwanis Club, Idaho National Laboratory, and ISU alumni.

“Thank you to all of our volunteers for their hard work on the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad,” said Shropshire. “They made this experience possible, and I cannot thank them enough.

For more information on the Eastern Idaho Science Olympiad, contact Steve Shropshire at shrostev@isu.edu or (208) 282-2212.

For more information on ISU’s Department of Physics, visit isu.edu/physics.