Are you a new or potential coach interested in participating in the Montana Science Olympiad?  Do you need to garner school and community support to create a team?  The Science Math Resource Center offers additional support to first year schools and coaches to help get oriented and succeed.

Montana Science Olympiad · A Brief History

Founded in 1984, Science Olympiad is the premier team STEM competition in the nation, providing standards-based challengeto 6,000 teams at 425 tournaments in all 50 states.

Montana State University has hosted Science Olympiad since 1985, each year sending a top middle school (Division B) and a top high school (Division C) team to represent Montana at the National Science Olympiad.

Checklist for Starting a Team:

National Science Olympiad Overview

National Science Olympiad CEO Jennifer Kopach gives an excellent overview of Science Olympiad and all its benefits for students. Listen to the podcast HERE 

Visit the National Science Olympiad Website HERE.

Share this Video with parents, teachers, and administrators and feel the excitement of tournament day!

screenshot of videoMontana: How (and Why) to Start a Science Olympiad Team

Learn the nuts and bolts of Montana Science Olympiad plus tips from SciOly coaches. Recorded on Nov. 6, 2024.Watch the presentation HERE

Fundraising Resources

The financial reality of forming a Science Olympiad team can be daunting.  From travel, hotels, food, science kits, materials, and more; financial resources are a necessity for the successful formation of a team.  Here are a few resources to get you started:

Veteran coaches, the MSU Science Olympiad Student Club members, and our staff can offer ideas for additional fundraising ideas.  Email us and we'll help you get started!  

General tips for getting started:

  1. Attend the Coaches' Kickoff, an online orientation for new and returning coaches, offered at the beginning of Science Olympiad season, typically late fall. 
  2. Subscribe to the Coach Newsletter, offering a wealth of timely and important information as the season progresses.
  3. Download the current rules manual(s) from the National Science Olympiad site (never use a previous year's rules manual, as events change from year to year)
  4. Check the Montana Science Olympiad Events page to see which events are scheduled for Montana (not every event in the rules manual is hosted in Montana).
  5. Add the Montana Science Olympiad tournament date to your calendar · Tuesday, March 4, 2025!
  6. Secure support from your school administrators (see letter below) and start recruiting students for your team.
  7. Make sure to register your team by the registration deadline, then submit payment by the payment deadline. (Forms and deadlines are on the School Teams and Coaches page)

(These are just the first few steps; the video includes many more tips for recruiting and preparing your students)

Letter of support for School Administrators

Need a letter of support to show your school leaders the value of Science Olympiad? Here is a sample letter you can print or download.

Coach Newsletters

Subscribe HERE
NOTE: Please add mtscioly@montana.edu to your contacts to prevent the newsletter from going to spam.