Although Science Olympiad is one of the most popular national STEM tournaments, preparing for the rigorous events can be overwhelming; from working late into the night putting together pages of information for your fossils binder to trying to separate super glued fingers from your balsa wood tower, it’s not very beginner-friendly, especially without prior knowledge or assistance. The high schoolers behind SciConnect Initiative hope to change that.
Led by experienced Science Olympiad competitors, SciConnect develops introductory online resources for students in states that may have limited access to such materials. While the organization initially had registration fees that were donated to organizations supporting STEM education in underprivileged communities, their courses are now free because of their partnership with Southern California Science Olympiad.
“I think all the people in our organization came from Science Olympiad programs that were very well-resourced,” SciConnect Initiative co-founder junior Leanna Lo said. “We wanted to help spread the education we received throughout the world, especially to people who might not have access to it.”
The team began creating course materials in early January. After nine months of dedicated research, the staff curated 18 courses, each containing 10 to 40 videos and quizzes for each unit. Despite the heavy workload, many of the instructors find the experience rewarding. .
“Not only does SciConnect help me since I am preparing and reviewing the content that I am teaching, but I think the reward lies in the fact that I get to contribute to my students’ success in their science olympiad career,” SciConnect instructor senior Stanley Suen said. “Knowing that my teaching in this course will help contribute to their knowledge and their passion for science is a pretty powerful feeling.”
The collaborative effort between volunteers has been crucial to the project’s success.
“Building SciConnect and creating the course materials were not something that just the founders could do,” Lo said. “We’re so lucky to have an abundance of volunteers from schools like Northwood, Orange County School of the Arts and some from Hawaii who were willing to make content for us.”
In the coming months, SciConnect plans to release new courses and host its own Science Olympiad invitational. Additionally, the team hopes to expand their reach by creating short-form educational content for Southern California Science Olympiad’s social platforms and helping their volunteers from Hawaii produce Science Olympiad curricula.
“I like how I can help people learn about the things that I personally enjoy studying and talking about,” SciConnect instructor senior Gabby Lan said. “At its core, we’re just people who are passionate about science helping other people who like science learn about science, which is a win-win.”
Interested in registering for their courses or learning more about their work? Visit their website at www.sciconnect.org and follow their Instagram @sciconnectinitiative.
