PennWest’s Clarion and California campuses will welcome about 600 middle and high school students this spring as they host regional Pennsylvania Science Olympiad tournaments. Both campuses were selected for their facilities, accessibility and long-standing support of STEM education across their regions.

The Southwestern Regional tournament will be held at the California campus from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday, March 27. The event will draw teams from 12 counties, including Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland. Organizers anticipate welcoming about 300 students. The California event is coordinated by Dr. Steven Brooks, Dr. Candice Riley and Dr. Matt Price.

“This event gives students an engaging and competitive opportunity to demonstrate their science skills while further developing their scientific knowledge,” Riley said.

The Northwestern Regional tournament will return to the Clarion campus from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Students from 19 counties — including Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango — will take part. Dr. Brandon Packard, who is coordinating the event at Clarion, expects roughly 300 students to compete on campus throughout the day.

“Science Olympiad gives students a chance to apply what they’re learning from various areas of STEM in meaningful ways, and hosting the regional tournament at Clarion helps make that experience accessible to schools across our area,” Packard said. “It’s encouraging to see so many students come together for a common cause — the participants to learn and grown and our PennWest students and faculty to volunteer and give back to the community.  I like to think we are making a big impact on the lives of these local students.”

Across both locations, PennWest students will play a central role in the success of the tournaments. More than 100 student volunteers are expected to assist with event administration, scoring and guiding visiting teams, coaches and families around campus.

Students will compete in two divisions:

Top-performing teams from each regional tournament will advance to the state competition.

The Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening science education, encouraging student interest in STEM fields and recognizing academic achievement. Tournaments feature team- and individual-based events across biology, earth science, chemistry, engineering, physics and computing, emphasizing both scientific knowledge and practical skills.

Volunteers are still being accepted for both events.

Volunteer at the Southwestern Regional Tournament at PennWest California

Faculty/staff volunteer registration form

Students/community members volunteer registration form

Volunteer at the Northwestern Regional tournament at PennWest Clarion

Contact Dr. Brandon Packard at bpackard@pennwest.edu.