Rock Hound. Amazing Arthropods. Code Warriors. Crime Busters.

Though they may sound like comic book characters from the latest hit superhero movie, the aforementioned titles are connected to superheroes of a different kind: the elementary school students competing in this year’s Macomb Science Olympiad.

The titles themselves are actually the names of different categories in which the students will be competing. In Code Warriors, students will vie to solve a computer programming problem using the Java Script programming language. In Amazing Arthropods, students will utilize scientific tools like taxonomy ecology to identify arthropods, a classification that includes insects, spiders, and crustacteans.

So while the titles don’t refer to superheroes, they also kind of do.

“The students in our program do amazing things,” says Elementary Tournament Director John Ogden. “They study topics that are above their grade level, ones they might not get in a normal school day.”

There are 28 school districts competing in this year’s event. In a typical year, the Macomb Science Olympiad would host teams of students from approximately 80 school districts throughout the county. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that for now.

This year’s Macomb Science Olympiad is moving to the Sterling Heights Velocity Center, a SmartZone Collaboration Center powered by Alchemist Ventures. The business accelerator helps develop tech-driven entrepreneurs and their businesses.

The Macomb Science Olympiad is scheduled for Saturday, May 15, at the Sterling Heights facility.

“Sterling Heights is home to industry that relies on technology, skilled trades, and manufacturing expertise, and Velocity is at the heart of that industry, providing support, business resources, and connections that help our local businesses expand, create jobs, and continue to grow the area’s economy,” says Sterling Heights Senior Economic Development Advisor Luke Bonner.

“It just makes sense for us to support initiatives like the Macomb Science Olympiad – initiatives that work to grow STEM-based talent to fill the jobs of tomorrow.”

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