FAQs for Canyon & Creekside Science Olympiad 2026-27 Season
I am new to Middle School Science Olympiad. What is this all about? Welcome to Castro Valley Science Olympiad Program. Please attend our Info Meeting on August 11, 2026 @ 7pm at Canyon Middle School (Multi Purpose Room) for all the details about our program. Both parent and child must attend in order to be considered. You can also read the General FAQs below to get an idea.
How are the Canyon and Creekside Middle School Science Olympiad teams formed?
- Teams are formed by Canyon and Creekside Head Coaches.
- When the registration opens on August 5, 2026, students fill out a registration form to express interest.
- Next step is to attend our Info Meeting on August 11th.
- Students who have never competed in Middle SchoolSciOly must take the tryout test on August 22nd.
- All interested students (new AND returning) must also attend on-line interviews.
How are team members selected? Canyon and Creekside Middle School Science Olympiad takes a holistic approach when forming our teams. We consider a number of factors (see below) and strive to build the strongest, well-balanced team based on the available information. We aim to form teams that we can meaningfully sustain while providing a positive experience for all our students. In any year when demand exceeds the number of available spots, we will unfortunately have to make hard decisions and cannot accept all applicants. Team placement is not grandfathered – it is NOT based on past membership.
- Science Olympiad experience – Previous participation in Science Olympiad or related STEM competitions is a plus but not necessary.
- Parents’ willingness to coach – Availability and commitment to support coaching efforts.
- Event preferences – Interest in specific events, balancing individual passion with team needs.
- Motivation – Demonstrated enthusiasm, work ethic, and dedication to preparing for events.
- Availability for practices & competitions – Commitment to attending scheduled practices and being available for Regionals and State competitions.
- Teamwork & Collaboration – Ability to work well with teammates, communicate effectively, and support team goals.
General FAQs
What is Science Olympiad? Middle School Science Olympiad is the nation’s most exciting K–12 science competition! A team of 15 students prepares together to compete in tournaments at the regional, state, and national levels. Each tournament features 23 events spanning biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, problem-solving, and technology. Students work in pairs to tackle these events, which are designed to recognize a wide range of skills—some test factual knowledge and concepts, while others emphasize science processes, hands-on applications, and creative problem-solving. The Regional Competition is held in late February or early March, with the State Competition following in late March or early April.
How many students are on a team? Canyon and Creekside will field 2-3 teams, depending on demand, coaching availability, and other factors that will ensure a meaningful and positive experience for students. Each team will carry 15 competing students and may have 2-5 alternates.
What is an “alternate”? An alternate is a fully included Science Olympiad team member who attends weekly subject meetings with the paid $130 registration fee, learns assigned events, and practices alongside the rest of the team. Alternates do not compete in official scored events, but they may be asked to participate in invitational tournaments or Trial Events when offered and available, and they are prepared to step in if a primary competitor cannot participate. Each team may have up to five alternates, and the role provides valuable training, experience, and continuity for future seasons, making alternates an important part of the team’s growth and success.
What is a “study” subject/event? STUDY event examples are Anatomy & Physiology, Disease Detective, Dynamic Planet, Botany, Heredity, Meteorology, Remote Sensing, and Solar System. These subjects require reading, researching, memorizing, and taking a multiple choice test on competition day. No labs or building involved. Meetings are usually 1-2 hours a week and the rest is studying on your own (homework)
What is a “lab” subject/event? Events such as Circuit Lab, Crime Busters, Food Science, Experimental Designs, Thermodynamics, and Write it Do it are all under the LAB category. These subjects combine studying and a hands-on (lab or build) component. For example, Crime Buster (CSI) will cover crime scene analysis of hair samples, fingerprints, sample powders, etc. Students will be asked to solve a crime scene and write an evidence based conclusion on the day of the competition.
What is a “build” subject/event? Some examples of BUILD subjects are Boomilever, Elastic Launched Gliders, Ping Pong Parachute, Roller Coaster, and Scrambler. The students will learn engineering concepts, design, application, build and test a variety of fun contraptions. We recommend the student try at least one, but no more than 2 build subjects. Weekly meeting times can be 2-3 hours per week due to hands on work like cutting, gluing, fixing, testing, etc.
How long is each meeting? Meetings will last 1-3 hours per subject each week. If you join 3 events, you will spend a minimum 3-6 hours a week studying, experimenting, building, etc.
When and where are the meetings held? Meetings occur on days that work for each event coach and their students – this may mean after school, in the evenings, or on weekends. Event coaches are primarily parent volunteers with regular day jobs, so they are unavailable during weekday school hours. Locations vary—some meetings are held at school after 6 PM, at the Castro Valley Library, or at a coach’s home. Note: Some build events require gym time throughout the year for testing. We rent gym space on Friday evenings and Sundays. Please consult with your head coaches and do not sign up for certain build events if you cannot be available during Fri/Sun gym times.
Can you choose the days and times of the meetings? The meeting time is set by the event coach based on their own availability and that of their students. Coaches are volunteering their personal time, so we ask everyone to be flexible and work with the coach to find a schedule that works for all.
How long does the whole thing last? Teams will be formed by mid September. Weekly meetings begin immediately after and continue through the competition season. Regionals are held in February or March. If we qualify, one team from each school advances to State, which takes place in late March or early April.
When is the actual competition day, and is it an all-day event? Yes—it’s a full day. Regionals are typically held in late February or early March at Cal State East Bay. Testing begins as early as 8 am, and students must arrive one hour before their first scheduled test. All tests finish by 3:30 pm, followed by a short break before the awards ceremony, which concludes around 7 pm.
Through the season, the teams will also be participating in some on-line invitationals and the dates are not available yet. We will let you know as soon as they become available.
My child only wants to do only one or two subjects. Can she/he still join the team? Yes, they can join the team as an alternate, subject to availability. The registration fee of $130 is still required.
What if the student is enrolled in Castro Valley Virtual Academy (CVVA)? If you are a 100% full-time CVVA student, you can not join any of the teams. However, if you have dual enrollment with CVVA and Creekside, Canyon or CVHS, you can participate in our SciOly program.
Will my child be guaranteed their choice of subjects/events? All students will be asked to select their top choices when registering. While we do our best to honor these preferences, there is no guarantee. That said, every student will get at least 1–2 of their top choices.
Assigning events is a complex puzzle. For each team, we must place 15 students across all 23 events, meaning each student takes on at least 3 events, with a few taking on 4. We also have to work around the preset competition schedule (no student can be in two events at the same time), build event schedules (released only 2 weeks before), plus juggle coach availability, student availability, friend requests, and last-minute illnesses on competition day.
It’s organized chaos, and we acknowledge it’s not a perfect system—but it’s how the competition works, and we play by the same rules as everyone else. We ask for your patience, understanding, and flexibility as our volunteer coaches work hard to make this a smooth and fun learning experience. Every subject is interesting and worth exploring! And if you volunteer to coach, your child will most likely get that event, since the head coaches prioritize families who step up to help the team directly.
Coaching FAQs
I am interested in coaching but I need more information. How many hours a week do I have to commit? It depends on what subject you are thinking of coaching. For study or lab subjects, you will need to meet with the students at least one hour a week ( 1.5 hours recommended). You will need another hour or two for researching and preparing some materials for the meeting. If you love to build, coach one of the build subjects. That will require a little more time since you have to spend time brainstorming, designing, cutting/sawing, gluing, letting the glue dry, testing, fixing, tuning, etc. As a coach you get to set the meeting time and venue that is convenient for you. We also provide gym space on Fridays/Sundays for build teams meetings.
How many students will I be coaching? Whether you are a coach for Creekside or Canyon, you will be the coach for 2-3 teams at your school. Typically, there are 2 students per subject per team. Experimental Design and Codebusters teams will have 3 students per team. So, you will be coaching 6-9 students. And these students will be a mix of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.
I don’t have any science background, can I still coach? The answer is absolutely YES! You do not need a degree in science or work in a technology-related field to coach a SciOly subject. All we require is your desire to learn and help your child. With all the examples and resources available on the Internet, you can be a fantastic coach. We also have resources and materials from previous competitions. If you are a teacher, a scientist, or an engineer, that’s a plus! But some of our SciOly coaches are not. They are researching, learning, experimenting, and building alongside their students. It’s a great way to spend quality time with your child—an experience that will ultimately benefit them in school and beyond.
I am new to Science Olympiad. Where do I begin as a coach? First of all, thank you so much for coaching! Our students can not succeed without your generous time and support. You will be added to our email list as a subject coach. We will email you all the links/resources we have on hand to help you get started. Much of the materials are online. Youtube, Quizlet, and SciOly sites are very helpful. Just do a search for the subject you’re coaching. We will also host coach meetings throughout the months. We also have several parents who had coached before and they’re ready to share their experiences with you. FYI…Div B is middle schools and Div C is high schools.
Do I need to fill out a separate Megan’s Law Form for each school? Yes, all coaches and parents who will be working with the students are required to file a Megan’s Law Clearance Form with their respective middle school and high school. This is a requirement from Castro Valley Unified School District. We will be checking with the school offices to make sure all coaches are cleared.
Will I get reimbursed for my expenses? Yes, as a coach, you will be reimbursed up to a certain amount. We will let you know as soon as you sign up to coach. Please check with the Head Coaches (Yawen/Wanyi/Amber/Marina) before you buy any expensive books, materials, or tools. We have some resources from previous years we can reuse. FYI, most CDs are not useful. Do not buy them. Much of the information is available on the Internet for free. If you can get donations from your company, your neighbors, teachers, and friends, that would be even better.
Registration FAQs
How do I register? Registration is online. Go to cvscience.us . Space is limited. Volunteer to coach and your child will most likely get a competition spot.
How much is registration? Is it refundable? The registration fee is $130 per student. You’ll pay it only after the teams are confirmed. The fee is due September 20, 2026 and not refundable after October 4, 2026. Anyone late with payment will relinquish their spot to someone on the wait list. The fee covers Regional & State Competition team registration fee, invitationals reg fee, a team T-shirt, and lunch on the day of the events. We also try to cover some of the material costs for some of the subjects. If you work for a company that can donate to our program, let us know. We do have a non-profit tax ID number.