International Academic Competitions will be organizing the inaugural International Environmental Science Olympiad (IESO) for our Science players and their families in beautiful Puerto Rico from December 27-31, 2024. Further details will be forthcoming over the course of fall 2023, and we expect that a full program will be announced in Spring 2024, with registration opening by April 25 in advance of our 2024 National Championships. IESO will be open to all students who have qualified for the National Science Bee National Championships (in the USA), the Canadian, European, and Asian Championships of the International Science Bee, or any student who passes the IESO Qualifying Exam which will be available beginning in early 2024. We envision that there will be four age divisions: High School (students in 9th-12th grade in 2024), Middle School (students in 7th-8th grade in 2024), Intermediate (students in 5th and 6th grade in 2024), and Elementary School (students in 3rd and 4th grade in 2024).

IESO will feature a mix of competitions, field trips, family activities, ceremonies and more. It is specifically designed to be an event for the whole family, with optional events for parents, non-competing siblings, and other relatives. December 27 will be an arrival day, with optional field trips for early arriving families. The Opening Ceremonies will take place on the morning of December 28, and the Closing Ceremonies will take place at a New Year’s Eve gala on the evening of December 31. This will allow families to depart on January 1 so that everyone can return in time for the resumption of school.

While we’re still in the process of brainstorming and envisioning the program of activities, we’re considering the activities below for inclusion in IESO 2024. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please let us know! Contact Jay Wickliff, our Director of Strategic Planning, at jay@iacompetitions.com with any ideas you have. See you in Puerto Rico for IESO 2024!

Buzzer Competitions
Zoology Bee
Environmental Science Bee
Caribbean Environmental Geography Bee

Exam Competitions
Oceanography Exam
Natural Disasters Exam
Rain Forest Exam

Fieldwork and Other Competitions
Great Trading Game
Tropical Ecology Fieldwork
Puerto Rico Climate Change Task Force
United Nations Environmental Programme Simulation
Renewable Energy Research Competition

Family Activities and Field Trips
Family Quiz Night
Beach Ecology Field Trip
Birds of Puerto Rico Trip
Puerto Rican Spanish Lesson
El Yunque National Forest Trip
Rainforest Alliance Coffee Tasting
Visit to El Morro Castle and Old San Juan
T-Mobile Family Entertainment District
Snorkeling Trip