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Winchester’s Science Olympiad, like most things, began small. Yet what began as a modest club for fun, has grown into something respected by the entire Science Olympiad community throughout the nation.
Every Friday, dedicated Winchester High School students gather for two hours in weekly club meetings, to prepare for their next competition.
Science Olympiad (SciOly) is a nationwide STEM-oriented competition in which teams of 15 students compete in 23 hands-on events across various science disciplines. WHS’s SciOly club was founded in 2015 under the supervision of teacher Ipshita Chakladar. Currently, seven dedicated students lead the club toward their success.
“It’s amazing to compete and grow alongside a group of students who share a genuine love for science,” explains Dylan Yang, a senior at Winchester High School and an officer of the team.
At WHS, the club has 60 dedicated members and continues to grow year-over-year.
The team competes at national-level invitational competitions throughout the year. So far this season, they’ve attended five at Cornell, MIT, Harvard, UMass Amherst, and Dartmouth.
The team’s most successful recent performance was at Harvard, where it placed third overall in a competition with 70 teams. In addition, the team placed first overall at UMass Amherst and was looking forward to the Massachusetts State Competition.
SciOly, the students explain, fosters a unique sense of shared camaraderie forged only by a shared excitement for both collaboration and competition.
“Past its competitive nature, SciOly is truly a collaborative organization,” Yang states. “That sense of camaraderie is rare to come by in other competition-based clubs. Teamwork is essential.”
For Yang, some of his fondest memories, he says, have been with SciOly.
“It’s truly an amazing club that's integral to who I am today,” he says. “I’d encourage any science enthusiasts to give it a shot.”
Xiyue Eric Han is a student at Winchester High School. He has been an intern with Winchester News since summer 2025.
