da Vinci Decathlon Training Day

WHAT IS THE DA VINCI DECATHLON?

It's an academic competition built in the spirit of an Olympic decathlon. Students compete in teams of eight across ten very different disciplines, working against the clock on problems that have no answer in the back of the textbook.

Created by Knox Grammar School in 2005, it now runs from regional heats through to a national final, with thousands of students from Years 5 to 11 taking part across Australia and overseas.

The ten disciplines:
Engineering · Mathematics · Code Breaking · Art and Poetry · Science · English · Ideation · Creative Producers · Cartography · Legacy

WORKING AS A TEAM

No one student is good at all ten disciplines. That's the point.

A team needs a student who can build, a student who can draw, a student who spots the pattern in a cipher, one who can pitch an idea under pressure, and one who keeps everyone on time. Curiosity and a willingness to have a go are what's required.

ABOUT THE TRAINING SESSION

This is a low-pressure taste of the real event. Over the morning, students will:

• Tackle sample tasks from several of the ten disciplines
• Learn how teams divide roles and manage tight time limits
• Practise the kind of lateral thinking the papers reward
• Meet the students they might compete alongside
• Ask questions and work out whether it's for them
• No preparation needed. No commitment to compete afterwards. Come and see what it's like.

THE DETAILS

Who: Students in Years 4-8 from any local school
When: Saturday 17th October 2026 (9am - 12 noon)
Where: The Riverina Anglican College, Wagga Wagga
Cost: No charge. Morning tea included.
Bring: Water bottle, pen

Register on the form below by 12th October:
Questions: Contact Bianca Miller
(02) 6933 1811
office@trac.nsw.edu.au

Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, an engineer, an anatomist and an inventor. The Decathlon celebrates students who think the same way.

Bring a friend. Bring your curiosity.