Methacton High School’s Chemistry Olympiad, a chapter registered under the American Chemical Society, has been active for the past two years. Open to anyone interested in improving their chemistry knowledge and taking it to a competitive level, the club meets on two Thursdays of each month from November to March. The team is advised by Mr. Bruce Outland, Methacton’s long-time AP and DE Chemistry teacher.
In past years, Mr. Outland prepared his AP students to take the local level of the national exam but stopped doing so a few years ago. Last year, then-seniors Matt Zografakis and John Akladus initiated a discussion to start a club dedicated to training interested students for the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), resulting in the formation of this club.
There are four tiers of competition that students can participate in. The local exam takes place in March which qualifies the top 16 from the Philadelphia region for the United States National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO) scheduled to take place in April. The 20 top-scoring competitors from this national exam can participate in a two-week study camp in June to prepare for IChO in July. Four students from the camp will be selected to represent the U.S. in internationals. This year, the USNCO will be held in LaSalle University on April 12, an eight-hour event. The IChO will take place in the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Outland said that students who participate in the Chemistry Olympiad exams will “gain an increased depth of knowledge of chemical principles above and beyond what they learn in chemistry classes here at Methacton… even above what is taught in AP Chemistry. This will better prepare students for college chemistry.”
Students interested in joining the club can contact Mr. Outland at [email protected].