Salt Lake City—City Academy 11th grade student, Sam Pedersen, won first place in the Dynamic Planet category of the Utah Science Olympiad held at the University of Utah on March 30. Sam won this award after spending the past five months learning about glaciers.
Science Olympiad is a national program for grades kindergarten through 12.
City Academy Executive Director Sonia Woodbury said, “Sam’s victory reinforces the fact that even though our school is small in size, our students excel in academics. In fact, I believe that City Academy’s small classes, personalized attention from teachers, and focus on getting students to really think rather than just memorize facts, really puts our students at an advantage as they prepare for college and after.”
According to the Science Olympiad website, “In grades 6-12, Science Olympiad functions much like a football or soccer team, requiring preparation, commitment, coaching and practice throughout the year. Each school-based team is allowed to bring 15 students who cross-train for a variety of events in their skill set, but some school clubs have more than 75 members, allowing for an apprentice and mentoring system.
“Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets, consisting of a series of 23 team events in each division (Division B is middle school; Division C is high school). Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. By combining events from all disciplines, Science Olympiad encourages a wide cross-section of students to get involved. Emphasis is placed on active, hands-on group participation. Through Science Olympiad, students, teachers, parents, principals and business leaders bond together and work toward a shared goal.”
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