Thousands of middle and high school students from schools throughout Ventura County will face off in three popular academic competitions in February and March. The games begin with the Academic Decathlon, followed by Mock Trial and concluding with the Ventura County Science Fair. These events, presented by the Ventura County Office of Education, combine creativity and competition to truly engage students in the learning process. Each local event brings an opportunity for Ventura County students to advance to state level competitions. Media coverage of the competitions and their awards ceremonies is invited. A schedule of events is provided below.

Events are only open to the public where indicated.

Events in blue are recommended for media coverage.

Academic Decathlon – Jan. 25 & Feb. 1

High school students will face off in a battle of academic skill in the 2020 Ventura County Academic Decathlon. Students will compete in essay writing, speech, interview, art, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music, science and social science. A crowd favorite is the “Super Quiz,” which is a Jeopardy-style competition that tests students’ knowledge in a variety of academic subjects.

Competition Day 1: Saturday, Jan. 25

Pacifica High School - 600 E Gonzales Rd, Oxnard, CA 93036

• 8:30 AM          Essay Event Begins
• 10:30 AM         Interview Event begins
• 10:45 AM         Speech Event begins
• 4:30 PM           Competition concludes

Competition Day 2: Saturday, Feb. 1

Pacifica High School - 600 E Gonzales Rd, Oxnard, CA 93036

• 9:00 AM          Testing
• 3:15 PM           March of the Decathletes
• 3:30 PM           Super Quiz (open to the public)
• 5:00 PM           Day 2 Competition Concludes

Awards Ceremony: Monday, Feb. 3 - 6:00 pm (open to the public)

Ventura County Office of Education: 5100 Adolfo Rd., Camarillo, CA 93012

Mock Trial – Feb. 24-27

Courtroom drama comes to life as students take on the roles of participants in a criminal trial, including attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and journalists. The students will present their cases in real courtrooms before actual local judges who volunteer for the competition. Local attorneys serve as coaches.

Competition

Ventura County Superior Court - 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, California 93009

• Rounds 1 and 2: Monday, February 24 - 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
• Rounds 3 and 4: Tuesday, February 25 - 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
• Semi-finals: Wednesday, February 26 - 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm (open to public)
• Finals: Thursday, February 27 - 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm (open to public)

Awards Ceremony: Monday, March 2 - 6:00 pm (open to the public)

Buena High School Auditorium - 5670 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003

Science Fair & STEM Expo – March 27

Approximately 600 Ventura County students will be presenting more than 500 projects. The students are among thousands in grades 6-12 who competed for the chance to present at the fair. This year’s Science Fair includes a STEM Expo that will feature fascinating scientific exhibits and expose students to career opportunities in STEM-related fields.

Set Up Day: Thursday, March 26 - 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm

California Lutheran University - Gilbert Arena • 60 W. Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks

Media invited to drop by the exhibit halls as students are busy setting up their projects. Most activity happens after 3:00 pm.

Judging Day & STEM Expo: Friday, March 27 - 8:00 am to 6:30 pm

California Lutheran University - Gilbert Arena • 60 W. Olsen Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

• 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Judges’ Breakfast and Orientation
• 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Judges review projects
• 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Students arrive and go to their projects for oral interview
• 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Student oral presentations to judges (best media coverage opportunity)
• Noon – 1:00 PM: Lunch
• Noon – 3:00 PM: Cal Lutheran STEM Expo at CLU Kingsmen Park
• 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM: Project Viewing (open to the public)

Awards Ceremony: Monday, March 30 - 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm (open to the public)

Ventura County Office of Education: 5100 Adolfo Rd., Camarillo, CA 93012