Seven New Trier High School volunteers––comprising seniors and faculty––traveled with the Volta Elementary School Science Olympiad varsity team to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for this year's state tournament on April 21. After several weeks helping the Volta students prepare for the competition's 23 science and engineering events, the New Trier students celebrated the Volta team taking home three medals in Thermodynamics, Rotor Egg Drop and Hovercraft. The varsity team also finished in the top 10 in other events. This was their fourth straight year competing at the state level.
On March 10, the regional tournament took place at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Volta's varsity team brought home 12 medals and finished third in the city. The junior varsity team took home 16 medals and finished in a tie for first place. The entire team also won the 2018 Spirit Award.
With funding support from the Foundation, the Science Olympiad Team was able to travel to the National Tournament in Dayton and to another at MIT after winning the State Championship held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign! The Trevians were among 50 Illinois high school teams competing for a bid to the Science Olympiad National Tournament in Dayton, Ohio. They took home 18 medals and the championship trophy.
New Trier's Science Olympiad Team has won many State Championships, and has placed in the top 20 teams in the nation for the past ten years in a row. These out-of-state competitions provide high level experiences which motivate students to realize their full potential. They also have the opportunity to meet their peers from other parts of the country and learn from the experience of others.
When New Trier Geoscience teacher Brittany Neptun received word about an exclusive opportunity to participate in a 5-day field experience with NASA scientists in June 2016, she jumped at the chance and submitted an application. Soon after, Neptun approached New Trier Educational Foundation Executive Director Marianne Breen to see if the Foundation would consider providing funding support for her travel and lodging.
The Search for Habitable Environments: Instilling Curiosity into Student Learning Symposium and Field Trip was limited to only 30 participants. It was part of a collaborative educational outreach by NASA and Arizona State University to ignite curiosity, excitement and passion within students by bringing real world science into the classroom. Participants came from all over the country and comprised mostly elementary, middle school and high school teachers. Other participants worked in museums and libraries.