More than 400 eighth graders from all over Kostanay region gathered in Kostanay for the regional stage of the IQanat Republican Olympiad. This round will be crucial: according to its results, 1,000 of the best students from all over the country will qualify for the finals.

The special feature of the Olympiad is its social orientation: 70% of the participants are children from vulnerable families. Finalists get a chance to study for free: some at the prestigious IQanat boarding school in Borovoye, the rest as part of a three—year support program. This is not only preparation for the UNT and international exams, but also the study of English, IT, soft skills and entrepreneurship.

— Up to 90% of students who have completed the foundation's programs apply for grants at leading universities in Kazakhstan and abroad. Today, our graduates study in 15 countries around the world," said Gulnara Bersagurova, Regional Coordinator of the IQanat Foundation.

The Olympiad includes tests of logic, critical and spatial thinking, mathematical literacy and English. Students also choose one of six subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography or the history of Kazakhstan.

This year's innovation is the peer—to-peer project: eighth graders are helped by high school students from the IQanat system, who have become mentors and tutors for them.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/kostanay/press/news/details/964205?lang=kk