Progress in the science world is a slow, steady march, with small discoveries building off of one another to yield something bigger than its parts.
That’s what organizers and volunteers at the first Hawaii Island Division A Science Olympiad are hoping will happen with their own program in the years ahead.
“This is definitely the beginning of something I want to see grow,” said organizer Leeann Ragasa, who teaches fourth grade at Hilo Union Elementary School. Four schools were scheduled to take part in Saturday’s event, but just two attended: Haaheo Elementary and Hilo Union. About 70 students participated.
In Science Olympiad, teams of students compete in challenges that test their critical thinking and problem solving. The challenges let students apply what they have learned in their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum.
“For middle school and high school students, there’s (also) science fair, but for elementary there’s not a lot of competitions they can go to,” Ragasa said.
The older students compete in islandwide and statewide Science Olympiad events but there are not enough elementary school teams to have a large contest.
Ragasa said there are some Division A participants on Oahu and Maui.
Next year, she hopes to get the entire Hilo-Waiakea complex involved, with plans to expand across the Big Island. By that time, there might be enough teams on the other islands to have a full-fledged state championship.
“I’m thinking five years from now, that could be an option,” Ragasa said. “That would be amazing.”
Cindy Fong works with Division B students at Hilo Intermediate and said Science Olympiad offers kids a break from standardized testing and shows them that science can be fun.
“No one ever has to be a scientist,” she said. “It’s about problem solving and building relationships with each other and with other teams. Keeping that curiosity moving, that’s really what it’s all about.”
Haaheo fifth-grader Katherine Fleming and partner Kumele Tiogangco, a fourth-grader, competed in just one event: macaroni towers. Their structure, built from dry spaghetti, supported 10 kilograms of sand.
“I was kind of surprised it didn’t crack even a little bit,” Fleming said. “It was definitely a relief.”
Tiogangco explained how the duo used triangles in their pasta structure to make it stable.
“You’re trying to make it light, but hold the most,” he said.
Both students said they’d be back to compete next year.
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
