It is an Olympiad with a very special history and tradition, which started originally in 1961 as a sports competition. The current version of the Olympiad started in1987. This time the honor of organizing the Olympiad falls to Gustav Adolf Gymnasium.

108 best high school physicists, chemists and mathematicians from six schools will take part in the Olympiad: Riga State 1st Gymnasium, Vilnius Vytautas Magnus Gymnasium, Gustav Adolf Gymnasium, Munkkiniemi School, Rudbeckianska Gymnasium and St. Petersburg 2nd Gymnasium.

Gustav Adolf Gymnasium cooperates with TalTech's School of Exams and Olympiads in organizing the Olympiad online and creating difficult tasks for the students. The Olympiad will take place this year in TalTech Moodle environment.

The evaluation of the Olympiads will take place in international teacher working groups. The winners will be announced on December 9, 2021, when the Olympiad will be closed and the competition baton will be handed over to the Riga State 1st Gymnasium.

A Brief History of the Olympiad

The tradition of organising contests between the three oldest schools of the Baltic States – Riga State Gymnasium No.1, Vilnius Vytautas Magnus Gymnasium and Tallinn Gustav Adolf Grammar School – was first established in 1961. Originally a sporting competition initiated by physical education teachers, it has since 1987 included an annual science Olympiad where students at the upper-secondary school level (in forms 10-12) compete in solving chemistry, mathematics and physics tasks.

The event has been well-received and prominent among students and teachers alike and thus the number of participating schools has grown throughout the years: in 2008 Munkkiniemi School (Finland) and in 2009 Rudbeckianska Upper Secondary School (Sweden) as well as The Second St Petersburg Gymnasium (Russia) joined the three initial schools. 

The co-operation project of the schools has been highly beneficial to all participants. For the teachers and schools the project has made it possible to compare the science curriculum of partner schools and to develop the school’s syllabus. Furthermore, it has encouraged mathematics, physics and chemistry teachers to exchange knowledge in working methods and experience in using innovative techniques and technologies. Most importantly, however, it has provided students with a variety of educational options as they do not merely develop their knowledge of exact sciences but also learn to work together and communicate with people from different cultures.