MANLIUS, N.Y. -- Some of the brightest students in Central New York are representing the state in the National Science Olympiad Competition.

Students in the Fayetteville-Manlius district are packing up their equipment as they prepare to head to Chicago Thursday. The Eagle Hill Science Olympiad Team is the reigning New York champions eight years in a row.

At nationals, they will be given a number of challenges, like building a clock that keeps accurate time, but it's much more than the science behind it. They also have to know their history. It takes a lot of studying and practice.

"The first thing the kids learn is cooperation and how to work together as a team, and the friendships they build during a competition like this will last a lifetime. But the technical skills and the scientific skills that they learn here, and practice here, and make mistakes on here will just help them in the future when they go to college,” said RJ Hartwell, science teacher & Assistant Olympiad Coach.

You can watch the Olympiad live via a web stream. Time Warner Cable is the parent company of YNN, and we are committed to "The Connect a Million Minds" program, inspiring youth to develop science, technology, engineering and math skills.

For more information on the initiative, go to connectamillionminds.com . sont.illinois.edu is the live stream and www.sonic.org is the Olympiad web site.