The International History Bee and Bowl is in the process of planning the inaugural International History Olympiad in July 2015. With IHBB competitions now active in over 20 countries around the world, the Olympiad will offer students with talents and interests in history a unique opportunity to meet and compete in a series of competitions over the course of a week. Planning for the Olympiad will be ongoing throughout 2014. A dedicated website will be online by the end of August at www.historyolympiad.com; until then, basic information is available through a link on our global homepage.
Students in Canada can qualify for the 2015 International History Olympiad by finishing in the top half of the competition at any Regional tournament in either the History Bee or the History Bowl. The qualification is valid for two years, so any students who qualify for the Olympiad can attend in either 2015 (when it will be held on the East Coast of the USA) or 2016 (when we anticipate it will be held in Hawaii). Students who are in their final year of secondary school studies in 2014, but qualify for the Olympiad may still attend even if they have commenced university studies.
The Olympiad will feature numerous events, both competitive and non-competitive. The competitive events will feature many buzzer quiz competitions in both the Bee and Bowl mode, but there will be other competitions as well (think historically-themed board games, computer games, historic simulations, a research competition, exams, and physical competitions). Non-competitive events will include lectures and seminars with distinguished historians, field trips, discussion groups, and more. It promises to be an incredible celebration of history, and we wish all students in Canada good luck in qualifying!