Launch of the Science Olympiad Program

PVF loves to hear from grantees, partner organizations, and teachers about their experiences. Read a letter from a teacher at Burlingame Intermediate School in San Mateo County who was awarded a Science grant to launch a Science Olympiad (SciOly) program. 

“Dear Philanthropic Ventures Foundation,

This year marked the exciting launch of the Science Olympiad (SciOly) program at Burlingame Intermediate School (BIS). A dedicated group of 15 students met weekly to explore the competition, diving deep into subjects like anatomy, optics, dynamic planet, code busters, and ecology, among others. The Science Olympiad features 23 events, including five hands-on building challenges.

With guidance from the Burlingame High School team, our students worked tirelessly to prepare and proudly competed in the Bay Area Regional Science Olympiad on March 8, 2025. Their hard work paid off—BIS qualified for the NorCal Regional Tournament, which will take place on April 5, 2025, finishing just a few points behind the second-place team! Even more impressively, our team earned a total of 19 medals across various events, including six gold medals. 

The Science Teacher Resource Grant money was used to pay for the competition entry fees and specific kits for the Scrambler, Helicopter, and Potions/Poisons events.

We are grateful for the opportunity to have these kids participate in the event and  hope to continue building on this success. We are planning to have a team again in the fall of 2025!”