Sacred Heart Catholic High School victorious at fourth-annual NII Science Olympics

17 teams of high school students competed from across the region

Victory belongs to Walkerton’s Sacred Heart Catholic High School, part of the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board, as four students emerged triumphant at this year’s Science Olympics, hosted by the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII)—mastering a series of inventive science-based tasks and earning top honours at Friday’s competition.

Now in its fourth year, the Science Olympics gathered 17 teams of sharp-minded high school students from Bruce, Grey and Huron counties at the NII Advance Technology Campus on May 8. The day was packed with hands-on challenges that tested critical thinking, teamwork and scientific smarts from start to finish.

Sacred Heart Catholic School’s “Team A” was triumphant while Georgian Bay Community School’s “Team A” and Goderich District Collegiate Institute’s “Team B” placed second and third, respectively, to round out the podium finishers. Taking home the coveted Science Olympics championship belt, the winning team is made up of students Jacob Conaway, Seth Dippel, Joel Montag and Sam Smith.

“I’ve been in the classroom for 24 years, and this group in particular just shines like a star. They are more than ready to head off to their next journey,” said Sacred Heart Catholic High School teacher Carolyn Windsor.

Champions of the fourth-annual NII Science Olympics from Sacred Heart Catholic High School

Students from Owen Sound District Secondary School try to identify native trees by their twigs.

A team from John Diefenbaker Senior School puts the finishing touches on their cardboard tower in an

A trio from Goderich District Collegiate Institute prepare to test launch a film canister rocket in

With challenges spanning multiple scientific disciplines like physics, biology, chemistry, math, Earth science and more, this groundbreaking event plays a crucial role in bridging the gap in opportunities between urban and rural high school students in the region.

“This year’s competition was incredibly close,” said Phillip Craig, NII Director of Education and Outreach. “The level of creativity and problem-solving from students across Bruce, Grey and Huron counties was outstanding. Bravo to all the students who participated and to the teachers that made this possible.”

He continued, “We’re especially thankful to event sponsor Framatome for helping make this year's Science Olympics possible. Their support—and the support of all NII Founding Members—plays a big role in inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders in our communities.”