Chemical Olympics is held the first Saturday in May. Registration packets are mailed out the first week in April to high school science departments throughout New Mexico and West Texas. If you have not received a registration packet, please contact Denise Pedraza at: dpedraza@nmsu.edu or call: (505) 646-2556.

Purpose:
The Chemical Olympics has a fourfold purpose. First, it provides high school chemistry students with a stimulating and enjoyable academic experience. Second, it demonstrates the relevance, importance, fascination and fun of chemistry to the students. Third, the workshops for high school teachers provide them with the latest developments in the teaching of chemistry. Fourth, it provides badly needed funds for high school science departments.

Divisions:
The participating schools are classified into three divisions so that schools similar in size compete against each other. The divisions are as follows:
AAAAA more than 1400 students
AAAA 700-1399 students
A-AAA less than 700 students

Cash Awards to Schools:
Three awards are presented in each of the three divisions: first place ($750), second place ($500), third place ($250).
Thus, the total value of prizes won by the nine winning schools is $4500.

2002 Chemical Olympics Cash Award Winners
Three awards were presented in each of the four divisions:

First Place, $750
Div. AAAAA: Alamogordo H.S., Alamogordo, New Mexico
Div. AAAA: Silva Health Magnet #2, El Paso, Texas
Div. AAA: Hot Springs H.S., T or C, New Mexico

Second Place, $500
Div. AAAAA: J. M. Hanks H.S., El Paso, Texas
Div. AAAA: Belen H.S., Belen, New Mexico
Div. AAA: Cloudcroft H.S., Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Third Place, $250
Div. AAAAA: Onate H.S., Las Cruces, New Mexico
Div. AAAA: Riverside H.S., El Paso, Texas
Div. AAA: Tatum H.S., Tatum, New Mexico

Events:
There are four events, two of which involve individual competition, and two of which involve team competition. The individual events consist of a comprehensive examination and a laboratory experiment in quantitative analysis. The team events consist of two qualitative analysis experiments. In these events, individuals and teams from the high schools of the same division compete against each other. Medals and trophies are presented to individuals and teams who place first, second and third in the separate events, and the respective cash prizes are awarded to those schools whose students have the best overall performance. Thus, 18 awards are given to individuals, 18 awards to teams, and 9 cash grants to schools.

Teams:
A team consists of three students. A school may have more than one team participate in the Olympics. If a school has more than one team, the team with the best overall performance represents the school for the cash prizes. If a school selects less than three students to participate, the students participate in the individual events only.

Selection of Cash Prize Winners:
The first, second and third place cash prizes to schools in each of the three divisions are awarded on the basis of the performance of members of teams participating as individuals in two of the events and as teams in the other events. Each school may have only one team participate for the cash prizes.