News Release

NORTH MANCHESTER — Manchester University’s annual Science Olympiad Invitational expects to draw hundreds of middle and high school students to the North Manchester campus.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, 13 high school teams and eight middle school teams will bring about 300 students to the North Manchester campus. They will participate in more than 30 events, with activities that include solving forensic cases, code breaking and constructing devices such as roller coasters and towers.

“This high-energy day is one of my favorite parts of this job,” said Kathy Davis, Manchester University professor of chemistry and invitational coordinator. She has been a part of the Manchester Science Olympiad Invitational since 2011.

Science Olympiad encourages students to learn in different ways. It also exposes them to Manchester’s close-knit community where faculty inspire students to develop their curiosity through hands-on experiences in the classroom and the lab.

Dozens of Manchester faculty, students and staff donate their time by running events and assisting visiting students during their day on campus.

Manchester University’s invitational is one of eight invitationals in the state this year. Invitational tournaments are a steppingstone for regional competitions, where the top teams compete for a spot in the 2024 Science Olympiad State Tournament on March 23 at Purdue Northwest and a potential bid for the National Tournament at Michigan State University on May 24-25.

Science Olympiad is a national organization that has provided premier competition opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM,  events for more than 30 years. For more information, go to soinc.org.

Among middle school teams participating are Indian Springs Middle School, Manchester Junior-Senior High School (two teams) and Winamac Middle School.

Among high school C teams participating are Columbia City High School, East Noble High School, Manchester Junior-Senior High School and Winamac High School.