Olympiada of Spoken Russian

When: State/Regional Olympiada competitions take place across the U.S. March 2026.

Who: California middle and high school students (heritage and non-heritage learners).

Format: Individual interview-style sessions with expert judges; friendly, supportive environment.

Registration

The San Diego Russian School is proud to host the California Region ACTR Olympiada of Spoken Russian, the nation’s oldest secondary-school activity of ACTR. Middle and high school students, including heritage speakers, are invited to participate.

Why this matters for college admissions

  • Stands out on applications: Participation, and especially winning at the Regional Olympiada, signals intellectual curiosity, persistence, and high-level performance in a demanding academic area.
  • Critical Language advantage: Russian is a U.S. government–designated critical language. Mastery of a critical language is valued by colleges for its strategic, cultural, and academic importance and for the diversity it brings to campus.
  • Opens doors to opportunities: Russian study positions students for competitive language scholarships and programs (e.g., NSLI-Y in high school; Boren and CLS in college), internships, and research.
  • Career relevance: Useful across international relations, national security, STEM, public health, journalism, and global business – all strong signals of future impact.

Contact (California Region):
 Anna Asadov-Ossowska — [email protected]

Preparation Materials