By Irwin Redlener and Karen Redlener
Ukrainian students triumphed at the International Genius Olympiad in June, proving the nation has hope for its next generation.
Ukraine’s delegation of more than 50 students recently headlined an impressive collection of students from around the world at the 2024 International Genius Olympiad in Rochester, New York.
The students’ trip from Ukraine took a full 24 hours. From Kyiv to Warsaw by overnight train, a direct flight to Amsterdam, and another flight to New York’s Kennedy Airport. Finally, a seven-hour bus ride to the upstate campus of the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where a busload of Ukrainian high school students were finally getting a few hours of shuteye, preparing themselves for three days of intense competition with delegations from nearly 60 other countries.
But, this Olympiad was not about team sporting events like the Olympics. It was a competition of intellect and creativity in eight categories, from STEM science, robotics, and coding to creative writing, the arts, and documentary filmmaking.
While most of Ukraine’s student delegation had never been to the United States, now they were here to represent their country in the latest competition. Almost 800 Ukrainian students competed for a chance to participate in the events, and 51 high school students were selected to attend.
As seen in:
