International Junior Science Olympiad

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The International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) is a competition in biology , chemistry and physics for students who are 15 years old or younger. In contrast to most other international science competitions, the IJSO is aimed at all-rounders who are interdisciplinary in biology, chemistry and physics. The Olympiad was launched in December 2004 in Jakarta , Indonesia. Since then, a German delegation has always participated in the competition (with the exception of 2010 and 2012). The multi-stage German selection competition for the IJSO is one of the six Science Olympiads at the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN) in Kiel. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the cultural authorities of the federal states. The IJSO is a member of the working group for nationwide student competitions .

participation

Each participating country sends a team of a maximum of six young people under the age of 16 and a maximum of three to four supervisors. The respective host country may provide two teams. The task of the supervisor is to translate the students 'tasks from English into the participants' mother tongue, to discuss the appropriateness and correctness of the tasks and to change them if necessary.

In Germany, more than 5000 children and young people between the ages of 9 and 15 register for the national competition every year. Every December around 300 young people from up to 50 countries meet at the international venue for the International Junior Science Olympiad .

Selection process in Germany

The path to the German IJSO national team has been through a four-stage selection process since 2008. In the first round, simple experiments are to be carried out at home and in-depth questions about an interdisciplinary subject area from chemistry, biology and physics are to be answered. The tasks are published on the Internet from November 1st of each year; You can register for the first round of the competition on the online portal by January 15 of the following year. Here it is still allowed to work on the tasks in groups of up to three young people. Those who have successfully completed the tasks in the first round will be invited to the IJSOquiz in March 2016 (around 1000 participants; everyone competes for themselves, no more teams).

Talented young people who have particularly distinguished themselves in scientific middle school competitions or junior academies can skip the first round and are invited by the IJSO directly to participate in the second round (IJSOquiz). In this, a 45-minute exam is written in February / March at the schools, which consists of multiple-choice questions. The third round will be completed again in May by around 500 pupils at the respective schools, a 90-minute exam asks knowledge in a mixture of multiple-choice tasks and word problems. The fourth round takes place with a maximum of 39 students for one week in September at a university or other research institution. It consists of a multiple-choice exam and a theoretical exam, each 75 minutes long, as well as an experimental exam, which is carried out in groups of three over 150 minutes. The tasks are based on those of international competition. The day before, the groups have the opportunity to practice more complicated methods (such as thin-layer chromatography or photometry ) in a laboratory . At the end of the one-week selection seminar, the six-person national team is nominated based on the number of points achieved. During the federal finals, the federal finalists will be looked after by student assistants, former participants of the IJSO and other Science Olympiads, and by those responsible at the IPN. Each November, this team is prepared for the international trip in December in a training seminar at the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education . There is now also an IJSO support association.

Prices in the selection process

Certificates of attendance for all participants in the first round will be handed out at the schools by the supervising teachers.

In the following competition rounds, certificates will be sent by the IPN.

Participants between 9 and 12 years of age have the opportunity to be invited to the Junior Researcher Days in Mainz after successfully completing the IJSOquiz.

In the national finals, the ten best participants will receive material prizes and a national gold medal.

procedure

The Olympics take place within at least nine days at the beginning of December of each year in the respective host country. During this time, a multiple-choice and a theoretical exam as well as an experimental exam are carried out. Each exam has a scope of 3 to max. 4 hours. Since the third IJSO in São Paulo , the experimental retreat has been carried out in groups of three.

Awards

Internationally, the best participating young people are awarded a medal. For example, the first 10% receive a gold medal, the following 20% ​​a silver medal and a further 30% a bronze medal. In addition, all participants receive a certificate of participation. In addition, the one with the most points in theory and multiple choice as well as the best three experimental teams are awarded. The overall winner as well as the country with the best team performance receive a special award. At the closing ceremony, the IJSO flag will be presented to the next host country.

organization

The respective IJSO is organized by the so-called Organizing Committee (OC) of the host country on behalf of the government. This committee is independent of the management of the IJSO, the Executive Committee (EC). The latter consists of the President, a Vice-President each for Africa, America, Asia and Europe as well as a Treasurer and a Secretary.

Venues

Web links

Commons : International Junior Science Olympiad  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Participating Countries | IJSO Official Website | IJSO Official Webpage | International Junior Science Olympiad Official. Retrieved September 21, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b IJSO Statutes. (PDF) IJSO, September 12, 2013, accessed on December 13, 2015 .