CFIS at APEGA Science Olympics

This spring, 35 CFIS students put their creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills to the test at the APEGA Science Olympics. These interactive, inter-school events challenge students to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems, demonstrating how engineering and geoscience impact our everyday lives. For several of our students, this was their second year participating in the competition.

Students from Grades 1 to 4 represented CFIS with one Grade 1 team, two Grade 2 teams, three Grade 3 teams, and one Grade 4 team competing in a variety of engineering and design challenges.

For the Grades 1–3 challenge, students were tasked with designing and building a viewing device to help people with colour blindness distinguish between soccer jerseys at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Using simple, low-cost materials, many sourced from recycling bins, students created innovative prototypes capable of revealing country names hidden on the jerseys. Along the way, they tested their designs, identified challenges, and refined their solutions before presenting their work and design process to the judges. Their creativity, perseverance, and thoughtful problem-solving earned every CFIS team either a silver or gold standing.

The event even attracted media attention, with Grade 2 students Charlotte R. and James D. featured in a Radio-Canada story highlighting the competition and the hands-on engineering challenges students tackled throughout the day.

Radio Canada Article

Our Grade 4 team took on the challenge of building a miniature ski slope. Beginning shortly after the Christmas break, the students designed and constructed a complete ski hill featuring a lifting mechanism for a marble, moguls, a jump, and a surprise element, a halfpipe. The team embraced the spirit of sustainability by creating their entire project from reused and recycled materials, without spending any money. After overcoming numerous design challenges, particularly with the lift mechanism, they successfully completed the project and earned gold at the competition.

Competition day also included a mystery challenge, where students were asked to organize an Olympic Village and design an intersection to manage traffic flow. The Grade 4 team approached the challenge with creativity and collaboration, showcasing the same problem-solving skills that helped them succeed throughout the project.

Congratulations to all of our Science Olympians for representing CFIS with curiosity, innovation, and determination!