2010 Basics

Information About 2009-2010
Creative Science Investigators
for home educated
High School & Middle School
(and if enough adult help is available)
Grade School Students
plus activities for younger siblings
Head Coach:
Tammy Parker ~ seekhispeace@gmail.com ~ 517-819-9813

Our emphasis will still be our Middle School & High School teams, but since many of us will have our other children with us, they might as well have fun with science too! Thus, we hope to also have a Grade School team this year that can compete at two competitions. Our main Team Meetings will be second Fridays September through April 6:30pm to 8:30pm with a social time afterward. The competitions are in January, February, and March (with States being in April or May if they make it that far).

Ages for CSI teams?
* Ages/grades are broken into these groups:
8th to 12th graders are HS = High Schoolers (8th and 9th graders can choose HS or MS)
6th to 9th graders are MS = Middle Schoolers (8th and 9th graders can choose HS or MS & 6th grade can choose MS or ASAP)
3rd to 6th graders are ASAP = Awesome Science Adventure People (ASAP & 6th grade can choose MS or ASAP)
Birth to 2nd graders are FYI = Future Young Investigators

What is a Science Olympiad competition?
* Each competition is one day with up to 23 events.
* Each CSI team member will participate in 3 to 4 events at each competition.
* Events range from build & test/race/run... to study and do. Check out: www.soinc.org
* Teams receive points from each event entered, based on participation.
* Teams are ranked based on total points from all events.

What is the student’s & family’s commitment?
* prepare and study for a minimum of 3 events per student;
* fundraise or pay the $110 per student participation costs (for 3rd grade and up students);
* attend all Team Meetings (or at least most); and
* help get sponsors to keep financial burdens to a minimum.

How do team members prepare?
Each event will have 2 or more students working together to study and/or build something. Budgeted event costs will be reimbursed with a receipt. Anything over the budgeted amount is the responsibility of the family that purchased it. In Build-It events students find information and materials, with mentoring from their Event Coach, to construct an item. In Study-It events the student, with mentoring from their Event Coach, studies and practices for their event. Combo Events are events that have some prior building or practicing, but the main part is performed at the competition.