Yale Secondary Students Win Gold at UBC Physics Olympics

When Yale Secondary students walked into the Mystery Lab: Cratering at the 48th Annual UBC Physics Olympics, they weren't sure how to begin. The challenge asked teams to design an experiment testing a scientific hypothesis by dropping materials of different weights and observing the impacts they created.

“Try to approach things from different angles,” Grade 12 student Julie said. “From the start, we didn’t know where to start, but after trying out different things, we were able to make headway into the lab.”

That persistence paid off. The Yale team earned gold in the Mystery Lab event, bringing home hardware from the competition for the first time.

The students say teamwork played a major role in their success. By sharing ideas and trying different approaches together, they were able to keep moving forward even when the solution wasn’t obvious. Event organizers also emphasize teamwork as a key component of the competition.

Preparation helped, too. Based on the event title, AP Physics teacher Mr. Penner anticipated the type of concept that might appear and reviewed an equation with students ahead of the competition, which they were able to apply during the experiment.

For 19 years, Mr. Penner has taken students to the UBC Physics Olympics, an annual event that brings together secondary students from across British Columbia for a day of hands-on physics challenges.

Students from W.J. Mouat Secondary also participated in this year’s competition, representing Abbotsford alongside Yale Secondary.

The Yale team didn’t expect to win. In fact, Mr. Penner first heard the news from a former student who is now studying at UBC and volunteering at the event. For Mr. Penner, the experience goes beyond medals.

“They have fun, and that’s the most important thing,” he said. “Being surrounded by like-minded students in a place like UBC is a fantastic opportunity for them.”

Experiences like the Physics Olympics help students see how their interests in science can lead to bright futures in STEM, opening doors to further study, innovation and careers that shape the world around us.

Pictured from left to right: Mr. Penner, Dominic, Matthew, Julie, Amos, Yian, Aidan, Josiah, and Vishav.