Lowe's donates supplies to Science Olympiad teams

School administrators, teachers, coaches, parents, and members of Goshen's junior and senior Science Olympiad teams were all on hand after school last week to receive more than $2,200 in tools and supplies from Lowe’s.

The items were purchased with a grant from Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program and delivered by managers from the Middletown location. Goshen has been involved in Science Olympiad since the early days of the national program, beginning with science teacher Pat Sherman in 1986. Since then, the middle school team has competed at the state level 26 times and earned a trip to the nationals seven times. Goshen’s junior team placed as high as seventh in the nation at the 2002 competition. The senior team, grades 10 to 12, has gone to the state level 12 times.

Science Olympiad competitions are often referred to as scientific track meets. Each school works independently on events ranging from astronomy to zoology. Some are very fact-based and require the memorization of a massive amount of material in preparation for a test given at the competition. Others are building events, where research and study must be applied to build a bridge or tower that can withstand weight applied at the competition. Other building events involve designing gliders, robotic objects, race cars, even musical instruments.

At each level -- regional, state, and national -- events are held simultaneously throughout the day. It becomes quite a challenge for team coaches to manage the schedule, a giant jigsaw puzzle trying to make sure each event is covered even if scheduled at the same time in opposite ends of the venue.

Why join?

With 64 members involved in Science Olympiad, there are almost as many reasons why these students dedicate so many hours per week for most of the school year to research, study, and preparatory tasks.

Junior Kaylee Kohn has been an active team member since the sixth grade. She had always loved science and found “it was like joining a second family.” She said she focused on subjects she likes, like chemistry, and then found events that use those skills. One of her specialties this year will be forensics; she will identify substances, fingerprint,s and other clues at a simulated crime scene and discover the murderer’s identity. As of now, Kaylee plans to major in psychology in college and feels her Science Olympiad experience will give her a solid foundation and help her deal with difficult college coursework.

Beyond the comfort zone

Science Olympiad events push students to reach beyond their comfort zones. Junior team (middle school) events are based on high school curricula, while the senior teams (high school) events are based on college-level materials.

Junior Ben Pahucki got his start in the seventh grade, the year he moved into the Goshen school district. As a new kid, he welcomed the opportunity to make new friends and pursue his interest in the earth sciences. His current areas of concentration are oceanography and geology.

“Science Olympiad has given me new skills, particularly how to be a better researcher and how to quickly breakdown and analyze information as well as how to organize it," said Ben.

He warns that it’s a big commitment. Team members regularly spend several afternoons a week in the library in addition to study at home, and most Saturdays they spend three to five hours on hands-on preparations. Team building and learning how to work cohesively on multi-faceted assignments are life skills that team members learn daily.

Pro-active in getting grants

This particular grant from Lowe’s is one of many that Goshen Science Olympiad Organization board members hope to receive in the coming months. The parent-run group was established in 2002 by parents of team members looking for concrete ways to support the team. Over the years, the organization has coordinated the purchase of team uniforms, and obtained sponsors to underwrite competition excursions like travel expenses and entry fees.

“We’ve begun researching various grant opportunities to find as much funding as possible for these students," said board member Elena Barnes, who has a background in corporate manufacturing marketing.

Barnes, whose husband, Glenn, also volunteers as a parent-coach, says the organization is getting much more proactive in looking for grants and other ways to fund both Goshen teams.

The organization is also focused on a scholarship fund that has been available to graduating seniors since 2002. The name of the scholarship fund changed in 2004 following the death of Charlene Klieverik, a long-time school employee and staunch supporter of Goshen's Science Olympiad since its inception. The scholarship is now administered by the Community Foundation of Orange & Sullivan. Donations may be made through the foundation.

To date, the fund has awarded more than $30,000 to graduating team members over the last 17 years. Ron Klieverik, a member of the scholarship committee, has long been involved on the sidelines. He has seen many positive changes but notes that one constant remains since the early days.

"Science Olympiad has always been a great incubator for students pursuing careers in the science and tech fields, particularly because of the hands-on approach to learning," Klieverik said.

For more information about joining Science Olympiad or to donate to upcoming competitions, call head coach Becky Dendanto at 845-615-6330.