The
International Chemistry Olympiad
is an annual event where countries
from throughout the world send
their four best high school chemistry
students to compete against each
other.
About 65 countries participate in the competition, which is held in a different country each year
- in 2006 it was in Gyeongsan, Korea, and in 2007 in Moscow, Russia. This year the competition will be held in Budapest, Hungary.
The selection process begins at the local level. Typically, about
twenty-five High Schools from all over Orange County
send as many as four students each to compete in the
local section exam, which is usually held in March-April. The top eleven scorers on this exam are eligible to
advance to the national round of the competition where
each student takes a five-hour exam that includes extensive
laboratory work. Approximately 900 students across
the U.S. advance to this round. Those that score among the top twenty nationally on
this test are invited to attend the Olympiad Study
Camp at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. The top four at the camp will then go on
to represent the U.S. at the international competition in July.
Last year, the four competitors
from the U.S. team ended up with three silver
medals and a bronze medal.
Over the past twenty years, four
county schools (Irvine, Sunny Hills,
Troy and Valencia) have had students
qualify to attend the study camp
at the Air Force Academy. Patricia
Widener of Valencia High School
attended the camp as the sole representative
from the county in 2006 year and
again in 2007 she qualified once
again.
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Double-click on the buttons below for information on how to participate
in the Chemistry Olympiad: