Penn State Wilkes-Barre will be hosting the Northeast Regional Science Olympiad 2026 on Wednesday, March 11. In past years the event has brought over 650 students from throughout the northeastern Pennsylvania region to campus for the annual middle and high school science competition. Penn State Wilkes-Barre has hosted the annual competition for more than 25 years and is the only institution in northeastern Pennsylvania to host a large-scale regional tournament for Science Olympiad.
Science Olympiad is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of science education, increase student interest in science, and provide recognition for outstanding achievement in science education. The Northeast Regional Science Olympiad tournament is an academic interscholastic competition consisting of a series of individual and team events that students prepare for during the academic year. The events are designed within the framework of various scientific disciplines of biology, earth science, chemistry, engineering, physics and computers. Events balance students’ knowledge of science facts, concepts, process skills, and science applications.
Tim Sichler, Northeast Regional Science Olympiad director and Penn State Wilkes-Barre assistant teaching professor of engineering, coordinated the Science Olympiad along with Rianna Karalunas, financial assistant.
“We are proud to host this event each year and see the passion that these young people have for science, as well as their desire to learn and grow,” Sichler said. “We always receive great feedback about the campus and the outstanding support from the staff. I appreciate the enthusiasm our community shows for the Science Olympiad each year.”
Winners in the Northeast Regional Science Olympiad advance to the state-level tournament in April.
To watch the competition live, visit the Penn State Wilkes-Barre streaming page.
Learn more about the national Science Olympiad organization as well as the PA Science Olympiad organization by visiting their websites.