North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) is a nonprofit organizationIRS 501c3 proof of non profit listing. Irs.gov. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. with the mission to attract and retain the pool of K–12 students entering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers in North Carolina.Doss, Ann. (June 6, 2010) Top Skills Prime Teens for Top Jobs. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved on January 18, 2012.National Science Teachers Association: The Rise of STEM Clubs. Nsta.org. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. It is a state chapter of Science Olympiad. Every year NCSO hosts tournaments on university, community college, and public school campuses across the state. These tournaments are rigorous academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of different hands-on, interactive, challenging and inquiry-based events that are well balanced between the various disciplines of biology, earth science, environmental science, chemistry, physics, engineering and technology. NCSO is housed at The Science HouseThe Science House at NC State. Science-house.org. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. at NC State University.
History The first recorded Science Olympiad was held on Saturday, November 23, 1974, at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Dr. Donald Barnes and Dr. David Wetmore were the originators of this event. Fifteen schools from North and South Carolina participated in this event. This Olympiad was a day-long affair, with competitions and demonstrations for high school students in the areas of biology, chemistry, and physics. There were four event periods during this day, and each event period had one fun event (like beaker race or paper airplane), one demonstration (like glassblowing and holography), and one serious event (like periodic table quiz or Science Bowl). An article was published in the Journal of Chemical Education in January 1978 documenting the success of recruiting students through Science Olympiad.Journal of Chemical Education- Student Recruitment Through a Science Olympiad. Pubs.acs.org (August 3, 2009). Retrieved on January 18, 2012. St. Andrews continues to host a Science Olympiad tournament to this day.Science Olympiad Tournament at St. Andrew's Presbyterian College . Sciencenc.com (October 31, 2011). Retrieved on January 18, 2012.
John C. "Jack" Cairns was a teacher at Dover High School in Delaware in the 1970s when he learned about Science Olympiad taking place in North Carolina. He shared this information with Dr. Douglas R. Macbeth, the Delaware State Science Supervisor. Cairns was appointed to a steering committee to organize the first Olympiad in Delaware which took place at Delaware State University in the Spring of 1977.
By 1982, word about Science Olympiad continued to spread, and caught the attention of Dr. Gerard Putz in Macomb County, Michigan. Putz invited Cairns to share the success of the Delaware Science Olympiad with Macomb County. As a result, Michigan hosted their first two tournaments in 1983 and 1984Michigan Science Olympiad. Michiganso.org. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. while at the same time Delaware hosted eight similar tournaments.Delaware Science Olympiad . Olympiad.k12.de.us. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. Putz and Cairns then decided to share the program with the rest of the nation.National Science Olympiad. Soinc.org. Retrieved on January 18, 2012.
Year Division B Champions Division B Runner-Up Division C Champions Division C Runner-Up Host 1985 Page NC State UniversityRaleigh, North Carolina 1986 NCSSM Northeast Guilford 1987 Drexel West Rowan Chapel Hill NCSSM 1988 Drexel Chapel Hill NCSSM 1989 Drexel Chapel Hill 1990 Nash Central Page Chapel Hill 1991 Drexel Liberty NCSSM 1992 Liberty Our Lady of Lourdes NCSSM Chapel Hill 1993 Hillcrest Our Lady of Lourdes NCSSM Garner 1994 Our Lady of Lourdes Greene NCSSM Garner 1995 Arendell Parrott Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel Hill NCSSM 1996 Arendell Parrott Our Lady of Lourdes NCSSM Chapel Hill 1997 Arendell Parrott Mendenhall Chapel Hill John T. Hoggard 1998 Arendell Parrott Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel Hill John T. Hoggard 1999 Arendell Parrott Toisnot Enloe John T. Hoggard 2000 Arendell Parrott R. Max Abbott Enloe John T. Hoggard 2001 Arendell Parrott Davidson IB Grimsley Southeast Raleigh 2002 Arendell Parrott Seventy-First Grimsley Durham Academy 2003 Arendell Parrott Seventy-First Washington Durham Academy 2004 Arendell Parrott Davidson IB Raleigh Charter Durham Academy 2005 Davidson IB Jay M. Robinson Washington Raleigh Charter 2006 Davidson IB Arendell Parrott Washington East Chapel Hill 2007 Jay M. Robinson Arendell Parrott Raleigh Charter Washington 2008 Jay M. Robinson Davidson IB NCSSM Raleigh Charter 2009 Jay M. Robinson Davidson IB NCSSM Raleigh Charter 2010 Jay M. Robinson Arendell Parrott Raleigh Charter NCSSM 2011 Arendell Parrott Piedmont IB NCSSM Raleigh Charter 2012 Piedmont IB Jay M. Robinson NCSSM Enloe 2013 Fred J. Carnage Piedmont IB Raleigh Charter Enloe 2014 Piedmont IB Jay M. Robinson Enloe Raleigh Charter 2015 Piedmont IB J. M. Alexander Enloe NCSSM 2016 Piedmont IB Fred J. Carnage Enloe NCSSM 2017 Piedmont IB Fred J. Carnage NCSSM Enloe 2018 Piedmont IB Fred J. Carnage Enloe Raleigh Charter 2019 Piedmont IB Wilmington (WAAS) NCSSM Enloe 2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 Piedmont IB Fred J. Carnage Enloe NCSSM 2022 Fred J. Carnage Wilmington (WAAS) NCSSM Enloe2023Piedmont IBFred J. CarnageEnloeNCSSM2024Jay M. RobinsonPiedmont IBEnloeNCSSM2025Piedmont IBFred J. CarnageNCSSMEnloe
Competition Score is calculated by giving 1 point for a first-place finish, 2 points for a second-place finish, etc. In final events standings, (D) denotes defending champions.
NCSO competitions are run in a style similar to a track meet. Each competitor has individual events that they compete in, instead of shot put and javelin, a competitor would participate in ForensicsForensics event. Soinc.org. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. and Tower Building.Tower Building. Soinc.org. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. Competitors receive individual rankings in each individual event they compete in, and at the end of the day all the individual event rankings are added together to get the total Team Score. Competitors are able to earn medals in their individual events, and teams can also win an overall trophy for their school.
Science Olympiad tournaments have four different time periods (and walk-in time periods) when events are held. Due to the number of teams at the state tournament (118 division C teams at the 2015 tournament), the events are instead divided into six time periods of 70 minutes. Most events allow teams of two students to compete (some events allow three).
Regional Tournament host sites include Campbell University,Campbell to Host Regional Tournament of NC Science Olympiad. Garner News. Retrieved on January 18, 2012. Catawba Valley Community College, Cumberland County Schools, East Carolina University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Green Hope High School, Guilford County Schools, Lenoir Community College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, St. Andrews University, New Hanover County Schools, Raleigh Charter High School, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro,UNC-Greensboro University News: UNCG Hosts Science Olympiad Feb. 20. Uncg.edu (February 14, 2010). Retrieved on January 18, 2012. and UNC-Wilmington. The North Carolina State Tournament is hosted at NC State University each April.NC State University News: Science Olympiad Invites Best and Brightest to Compete at NC State. News.ncsu.edu (April 23, 2010). Retrieved on January 18, 2012. The top two scoring teams at the state level advance to the national competition, held every May.NBC 17 – NC Students To Compete In National Science Olympiad State tournament results are seen below.
2021 Competition Division B – event placement Event First place Second place Third place Fourth Place Anatomy and PhysiologyPiedmont IBHopeJay M. RobinsonMills ParkCircuit LabDavis DriveJay M. RobinsonFred J. CarnageSmithCodebustersPiedmont IBDavis DriveJay M. RobinsonGuy B. PhillipsCrime BustersPiedmont IBWilmingtonHopeTriangle DayDensity LabJay M. RobinsonDavis DrivePiedmont IBFred J. CarnageDigital StructuresFred J. CarnageAlston RidgePiedmont IBCentral WilkesDisease DetectivesMills ParkMetrolina RegionalFred J. CarnagePiedmont IBDynamic PlanetMills ParkPiedmont IBAlston RidgeThales AcademyExperimental DesignPiedmont IBWilmingtonJay M. RobinsonMills ParkFood ScienceDavis DriveMills ParkFred J. CarnageTriangle DayFossilsPiedmont IBWilmingtonJay M. RobinsonMills ParkGame OnWilmingtonJay M. RobinsonPiedmont IBHopeHeredityFred J. CarnagePiedmont IBOberlin MagnetLake Norman CharterMachinesDavis DriveFred J. CarnageMills ParkJay M. RobinsonMeteorologyWilmingtonDavis DriveWakefieldPiedmont IBMousetrap VehicleMills ParkThales AcademyLake Norman CharterWakefieldOrnithologyWilmingtonVoyager AcademyPiedmont IBMetrolina RegionalPicture ThisFred J. CarnageJay M. RobinsonVoyager AcademySmithReach for the StarsPiedmont IBDavid DriveWilmingtonThe Academy at LincolnRoad ScholarPiedmont IBFred J. CarnageJay M. RobinsonAlston RidgeWater QualityPiedmont IBAlston RidgeCornerstone CharterGuy B. PhillipsWrite It, Do ItThe Academy at LincolnWakefieldProvidence DayVoyager Academy Winning team
Division B – final standings Position Team Score 1 Piedmont IB (D) 85 2 Fred J. Carnage 125 3 Jay M. Robinson 158 4 Mills Park 160 5 Davis Drive 182 6 Wilmington 184 7 Smith 260 8 Metrolina Regional 265 9 Guy B. Phillips 283 10 The Academy at Lincoln 296 11 Triangle Day 308 12 Lake Norman Charter 310 13 Alston Ridge 314 14 Cornerstone Charter 343 15 Thales Academy 350 16 Hope 384 17 Oberlin Magnet 388 18 Voyager Academy 404 19 Wakefield 406 20 Community House 429 21 Central Wilkes 477 22 Woods Charter 487 23 Providence Day 493 24 Charles P. Murray 500 25 Seventy-First 511 26 Team JOCO 517 27 Roland Grise 528 28 Ayden 545 29 Foothills Community 564 30 Cannon School 573 31 French Broad River 579 32 Cleveland 620 33 Contentnea-Savannah 652 34 Woodington 661 35 Flat Rock 673
Division C – event placement Event First place Second place Third place Fourth Place Anatomy and PhysiologyEnloeNCSSMPanther CreekIsaac BearAstronomyNCSSMD.H. ConleyChapel HillEnloeChem LabRaleigh CharterEnloeGreen HopeNCSSMCircuit LabNCSSMEnloeChapel HillRaleigh CharterCodebustersEnloeApex FriendshipWeddingtonTriangle AcademyDesigner GenesEnloeNCSSMD.H. ConleyGreen HopeDigital StructuresEnloeRaleigh CharterNorthside - OnslowPanther CreekDisease DetectivesPanther CreekGreen LevelCary AcademyJohn T. HoggardDynamic PlanetNCSSMEnloeJohn T. HoggardRaleigh CharterExperimental DesignGreen LevelEnloePanther CreekRaleigh CharterFermi QuestionsTriangle AcademyEast Chapel HillPanther CreekIsaac BearForensicsEnloePather CreekChapel HillIsaac BearFossilsNCSSMEnloeNorthern GuilfordMiddle CreekGeoLogic MappingNCSSMResearch TriangleCardinal GibbonsEnloeGravity VehicleJohn T. HoggardE.A. LaneyResearch TriangleEnloeMachinesEnloeNCSSMGreen HopeChapel HillOrnithologyMiddle CreekNorthern GuilfordEnloeArdrey KellPicture ThisEnloeEast Chapel HillNCSSME.A. LaneyProtein ModelingGreen HopeEnloePanther CreekRaleigh CharterSounds of MusicNCSSMGreen HopeEast Chapel HillRaleigh CharterWater QualityTriangle AcademyD.H. ConleyNCSSMEnloeWrite It Do ItEast Chapel HillProvidenceMarvin RidgeDurham Academy Winning team