Charlotte middle school qualifies for Science Olympiad national championships

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Lots of accolades go to remarkable athletic teams. It’s high time we honor a local Charlotte varsity Science Olympiad team.

This group from Piedmont Open Middle School has gone to nationals four out of the past five years. This year they qualified for nationals again. They head to Kansas this weekend, on May 20. They were at the 2023 state championship at NC State University last month.

Science Olympiad is a national tournament that brings together the brightest young minds in science from across the country.

Think of the competitions like academic track meets, says parent/volunteer Jennifer Chisolm. They consist of a series of 23 team events. Each year, a portion of the events are rotated to reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology.

Chisolm said the kids have traveled to competitions and participated virtually every Saturday.

One cool thing about this team is that Piedmont was recently named a 2023 Merit Schools of Excellence for Magnet Schools of America. It’s unique in that the school has an 80 percent minority student population, and also able to say it’s home to some of the brightest young minds in the State of North Carolina.

That’s a fact the school, she says, is mighty proud to share.

Congrats to the team, and good luck this weekend.

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