More Groups and Programs
Our Mission:
Our mission is simple. We want to leverage Yale University’s capital and human resources as best as we can to deliver a high quality Science Olympiad product for high school students and teachers. It is common for teams in the Midwest to attend multiple invitationals prior to their regional or state competitions. Why shouldn’t Northeastern teams have that luxury? We are here to serve the Northeast region at large but are also particularly interested in helping local Connecticut teams expand their SO programs by allowing them easy access to competitions in their backyard. Many local public high schools do not have the opportunity to travel farther to attend large invitationals, so we like to focus more on the schools in our local community.
Since 2001, the University has invested over $1 billion in research funding, curriculum expansions, faculty appointments, and building renovations in the sciences and engineering departments. As students at a university that is traditionally focused on the humanities and social sciences, we’re glad that there’s a place at Yale for Science Olympiad.
As SO alumni, we have all had our horizons broadened, self-doubts challenged, and intellectual capacities expanded through Science Olympiad. Many of us owe our curiosity for STEM fields to our high school SO experiences and it’s important to us that today’s high school students in the Northeast have even better opportunities to develop their interests.
Yale has a long tradition of community and public service. We hope that our commitment to hosting quality Science Olympiad competitions for local teams upholds that tradition faithfully and helps to motivate high school students’ love for science, much as we were inspired not so long ago
Our Activities:
Yale Undergraduate Science Olympiad Invitational
Direct Service
The team works together to prepare for the annual YUSO invitational that is hosted on February 4, 2023. We are especially excited for this year’s competition due to the fact that this is our first in-person competition after 2 years of virtual invitationals during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will ensure to host a competition that follows the university’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements and policy regarding visitors on campus to keep our community safe while providing an exciting return to in-person competition.
We are expecting to host 60+ high school teams including 1,200+ high school students, coaches, parents, and chaperones from across the country, but largely focused on the Northeast region. Board members, event supervisors, assistant event supervisors, and volunteers will also be present on the day of the event to ensure smooth operations. High school competitors will spend the majority of the day competing in their respective events. Once grading of tests, labs, and builds are completed, there will be an award ceremony to award top placers in each event as well as overall top scoring teams. Though this is a competitive event, we aim to provide an experience that is challenging, exciting, and rewarding for all teams. Most importantly, we strive to create a vibrant community and environment that encourages collaboration and fosters friendships and a life-long passion for science, technology, engineering, and math.
Yale Undergraduate Science Olympiad Invitational
Direct Service
Each year, YUSO hosts a Science Olympiad Invitational for high school students in Connecticut and across the nation. We aim to provide an engaging, challenging tournament to help students broaden their interests and practice for their regional, state, and national competitions. Our invitational is traditionally in early February and serves hundreds of students annually.
Student Leaders:
KJ McConnell - Co-Coordinator/Co-President Sheel Trivedi - Co-Coordinator/Co-PresidentAbout the Author
