In 2009, Board Members Dr. Gerard Putz and Jim Woodland traveled to Tokyo, Japan, to present Science Olympiad concepts to Japanese education officials from the Ministry of Education (MEXT) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) at "Science Agora." A partnership between Science Olympiad and JST was born, founded on a shared passion for making science competition fun and exciting for all students. 

In March 2024, JST hosted its 13th Annual Japan High School Science Championships (JHSSC), a competition styled after the US-based Science Olympiad. Each year, the Grand Prize for winning the JHSSC is a trip to the U.S. to participate in the Science Olympiad National Tournament. We are so excited to announce that back-to-back JHSSC champs from Eiko Gakuen High School will be the 2024 Global Ambassador Team from Japan. As at the 2012-2023 National Tournaments, Japanese students will join American peers in activities, march in the Parade of States, and participate as guests in selected Science Olympiad test, lab, and build events.