Jordan Earns Green and Gold

27th June 2019

Year 12 Girton Grammar School student, Jordan Rogers, is one of only 17 young science students selected to represent Australia at the 2019 UNESCO-sanctioned International Science Olympiads in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science.

Jordan will compete at the Earth and Environmental Science Olympiad in Korea from 26 August to 3 September 2019 and today received his Australian team blazer at an official ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra.

Headmaster at Girton Grammar School, Mr Matthew Maruff, said that Jordan had spent a year in examinations and intensive training to be selected to represent Australia.

“Jordan has already participated in the elite Australian Science Olympiad Summer School held at the Australian National University (ANU) in January 2019, and now, he will take to the world stage.

“Previous Girton students have competed in the International Science Olympiads and received Silver medals, so we have high hopes for Jordan,” Mr Maruff said.

The International Science Olympiads are the world’s toughest science competitions for secondary school students. The Australian representatives will test their skills in competitions taking place in July and August in Hungary (Biology), France (Chemistry), Republic of Korea (Earth Science) and Israel (Physics). More than 6,000 students from more than 321 schools participated in the qualifying examinations, with 93  students short-listed and invited to a two-week summer school at the Australian National University, from which, the 17 Australian representatives were selected.

“Schools have an important part to play in nurturing a love of Science in young people, and we are thrilled that Jordan has this opportunity to challenge himself.

“Programs like the Science Olympiads provide students with the chance to visit and use world-class research facilities, to meet leading scientists and to be with like-minded peers.

“Australia needs to invest in scientific research, and it should be a major exporter for this country. It is up to schools to nurture the next generation of technical experts, and I am very pleased that every year we have many graduates who go on to study Tertiary level STEM courses,” Mr Maruff said.