Science Olympiad

Vital Stats

Andover, MA

  • people helped18
  • People Doing It17

The Problem

Lawrence, MA, has never been the ideal place for a child to grow up in. In the early 1900s, children worked in textile mills under horrific conditions for little pay – now, children work in substandard public schools, surrounded by endless fights, drugs, and other bad values (with no pay). Because Lawrence is a poor community composed of immigrant, blue-collar workers, the city has little resources, money, and opportunity. Schools often fail to challenge and inspire, or even teach children, especially in the sciences, thereby failing their fundamental purpose. Many of the kids are extraordinary bright, yet the schools are unable to offer many extracurricular or hands-on activities. This spurs a dangerous cycle: with the increased idle time, many of these talented students turn to bad habits, worsening the already awful academic environment and throwing away their chances at a brighter future.

Plan of Action

A program as ambitious as Science Olympiad required much advance planning. We had to find kids, transportation for those kids, a time to meet at, a space to meet in, volunteers, and the money needed to purchase educational materials. Through sheer force of will and a stroke of good luck, the project managed to come together. Last year, the Science Olympiad community service program operated in the following manner. Our students from Lawrence are part of the Youth Development Organization, which selects kids who are excelling in their respective schools and provides transportation to numerous extracurricular activities. For the past year, every Wednesday, Biology, Ecology, and Circuits and Magnetism (Physics) met from 4 – 5 PM, and the next set of events, Chemistry, Dynamic Planet (Earth Science), Bridge Building, and Airplane Building met from 5 – 6 PM. We had to come up with syllabuses and activities for each day. Though the work was considerable, many students at Phillips Academy were interested in volunteering for this project. Some coached individually and others chose to coach with their friends, making for a more informal, fun learning environment. Through negotiations with the administration on campus, we discovered a meeting place that we could use, Samuel Phillips Hall, with an occasional field trip to Gelb or the outdoors. Money was actually the greatest concern, but we managed to win the Martin Luther King Jr. Award at our school, a scholarship that gave $1,500 for social service. This scholarship money will cover all of our expenses. At our first competition, despite being completely inexperienced, our team took home 4th place in Bridge Building and 5th place in Dynamic Planet. However, more importantly, on the way back, the kids turned around and said, “When can we come back?” I strongly believe that our program is encouraging kids to think in new ways, to dream, and, most importantly, to do the work necessary to achieve it. It is impossible to describe how excited and scared the kids were while doing their first acid-base titrations, or the expressions on their faces as they watched their bridge hold 15 pounds. “I understand” are the two most powerful words in the English language.
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