Jonesboro Hosts Second Elementary Science Olympiad
About 60 fourth through sixth graders from five magnet schools competed in more than 20 events on Oct. 31.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Primary Education
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The Jonesboro School District held its second elementary science Olympiad on Oct. 31, with about 60 students from all five magnet elementary schools competing. High school students volunteered to supervise the younger competitors.
Why it matters
Elementary students have no national science Olympiad competition, so the local event gives younger students an early introduction to competitive STEM settings. The program was launched to fill that gap for Jonesboro students.
About 60 students from the five Jonesboro magnet elementary schools took part in more than 20 competitive events on Oct. 31. The source does not report results or whether the program will expand.
The players
Desiree Stokes
Stokes is an Arkansas Excellence in Teaching fellow who co-launched the elementary science Olympiad with a coworker and runs the competition with Jan Annaratone.
Jan Annaratone
Annaratone is an educator who co-runs the elementary science Olympiad with Desiree Stokes.
The details
Events included engineering coolers designed to keep ice cubes frozen and analysis of mystery powders in simulated crime labs. Teachers asked high school students, including Layla Abdel-Karim, who had returned from a state-wide science Olympiad, to supervise dozens of students spread across several classrooms.
Timeline
Oct. 31, 2026: Second elementary science Olympiad held for Jonesboro students.
Season Trajectory
The Jonesboro event fills a gap left by the lack of any national science Olympiad for elementary students, which typically begins competition at older grade levels. Its second iteration suggests the program is establishing a recurring local pipeline for younger STEM competitors.
Parents of fourth through sixth graders at Jonesboro's five magnet elementary schools can see how students are being introduced to competitive science. High school students who supervised the event gained hands-on experience helping younger learners.
The takeaway
Early exposure to competitive science can build interest in STEM before students reach high school. Local programs like this one show how schools can create those opportunities without waiting for national competitions.
Further reading
Explore more Primary Education coverage from Jonesboro schools.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Kait8.
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