Local High School Students Go For the Gold at Lakehead's New Science Olympics


(l-r) Cassandra Felice, St. Ignatius High School, Grade 10; Alyssa Nigro, Superior CVI, Grade 10; Sabrina Nordlund, Sir Winston Churchill CVI, Grade 9; on stage at the PACI Auditorium competing in the Speed Stacking event

(May 13, 2011 "Thunder Bay, ON) Today, Lakehead University's Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies and Faculty of Education host the inaugural Lakehead University Science Olympics, which takes place at PACI. The event aims to increase awareness of the importance of science in everyday life. Contestants, comprising local grade nine and ten high school students, will be divided into teams to take part in four skill-testing events.

"Science is part of everyday life," says Dr. Andrew Dean, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies at Lakehead University."New discoveries happen every day and we hope to inspire students to remember that science is not just about lab coats and beakers " new discoveries are often a result of collaboration and team work. It can happen anywhere; chemistry takes place in the kitchen, feats of engineering occur on camping trips, and neighbourhood environmental solutions are science-driven."

The Science Olympics, held in partnership with Youth Science Ontario, tests students' abilities to solve challenging problems in creative and innovative ways.

Carolyn Rayfield, Executive Director of Youth Science Ontario is in Thunder Bay for the event and said, "Our goal is to give all Ontario students the opportunity to pursue science exploration. Science Olympics are a great way to inspire and motivate students through fun challenges that require students to use their knowledge of science, engineering, and math. My favourite part of these events is watching the participants develop their collaborative, problem-solving and communication skills as they work together as a team."

Lakehead's first Science Olympics welcomes 50 student participants, from Churchill, St. Ignatius, Superior C.V.I., and Hammarskjold high schools. Students participate in four challenging team-building events.

One: Tower of Power
Using minimal materials, teams design and construct the tallest and strongest tower that could both withstand high winds and support an egg.

Two: Medical Mystery
Teams are provided with a series of medical scenarios based on anatomy, physiology, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of disease, and have only a few minutes to work together to determine the most likely solutions.

Three: Molecule Building
Teams are given a look at a picture of a molecular structure and are asked to build it from memory using supplied molecular pieces.

Four: Speed Stacking
Teams are provided with a set of speed stacking cups and have to assemble them in patterns while being timed. This exciting challenge tests hand-eye coordination, speed, ambidexterity, and sportsmanship.

Dr. John O'Meara, Dean of the Faculty of Education, feels that this year's event is a very good start for what he hopes will become a bigger event next year.

"We will incorporate feedback from students and teachers into our plans for next year's Science Olympics," says O'Meara. "We'd like to see this grow into an event for all high school grades and hope that regional communities will come to Thunder Bay to take part or initiate their own events. We are looking forward to students applying ingenious solutions while negotiating under time constraints and hopefully, they'll see that science in the real world can be just as fun and very rewarding. As we like to say, there's an Olympian in everyone."

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Media: Dr. Andrew Dean, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies, and Dr. John O'Meara, Dean of the Faculty of Education, are available for media interview. To arrange an interview, please contact Janine Chiasson, Communications Officer, at 807-343-8177 or commun@lakeheadu.ca.

Visit www.youthscienceontario.ca for more information about science initiatives across the province.

About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. Over 8,280 students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.