Academic Teams
Academic Teams/Clubs
Clovis North Science Fair
Join the CNEC Science Fair Team — where curiosity meets competition!
The CNEC Science Fair Team is a powerhouse of student-led research, open to 7th–12th grade students with a passion for exploring the world through science. Team members design original investigations in fields ranging from chemistry and biology to engineering and computer science. Top projects advance to the Fresno County Science Fair, where over $67,000 in scholarships and awards are up for grabs.
Our team has a legacy of excellence: CNEC students regularly qualify for the California State Science Fair, the Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge, and the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)—the world’s most prestigious science competition for high school students where nearly $9 million in awards are given. In fact, we’ve had ISEF qualifiers almost every year since our team began.
New in 2025: We’re launching a CNEC Elementary Invitational to inspire the next generation of scientists from our feeder schools.
Whether you're a future engineer, doctor, coder, or just love science—there’s a place for you on the team.
For more info or to join, contact:
Kasey Duttle
Clovis North Science Olympiad
The Clovis North Science Olympiad team is one of the most successful academic teams on campus, consistently demonstrating excellence in STEM competitions. The team has earned 1st place in Fresno County multiple times in recent years, solidifying its reputation as a powerhouse in the regional Science Olympiad tournament. Science Olympiad is a national competition that challenges students in a variety of science and engineering events, ranging from biology and chemistry to physics and technology.
Participation in Science Olympiad provides students with opportunities to collaborate, apply scientific knowledge in real-world scenarios, and compete at the highest levels. Clovis North students have excelled in events that test both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills, with many earning spots to compete at the state level.
For more information or to join the team, contact Coach Johnathan Benson at johnathanbenson@clovisusd.k12.ca.us
History Day
National History Day is a non-profit educational program that has offered students and teachers the opportunity to dive in to historical topics for over 50 years. This program involves over half a million students around the world in the creative exploration of history. Contests are on the local, state, and national level, and the competition encourages students to conduct historical research on a topic of their choice, connecting with a yearly theme. Students enter their projects at the local and affiliate levels, with top students advancing to state, and from there, state champions advance to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. Students can work individually or in groups of up to five; they create projects such as physical exhibit displays, websites, video documentaries, podcasts, research papers, and performance pieces. CNEC’s History Day program has had wonderful success over the years, with multiple county champions, state qualifiers and finalists, and several national qualifiers -- even a National Championship!
For more information about History Day, please check out this web page. The advisor for the CNEC team is Ms. Sally Howe in room 276. You can email her at sallyhowe@cusd.com.
Robotics
What is Robotics? Have you ever aspired to build an autonomous, intelligent, high-powered, high speed 125lb robot to go head to head with the best high school student built robots in the world? Welcome to the FIRST Robotics Competition, an international competition created by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)! FIRST is a not-for-profit public charity committed to accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills. This program brings together individuals of different backgrounds to compete in "Sports for the Mind".
Why join Robotics? FIRST Robotics Competition is an innovative, mind-stimulating competition that teaches students life-skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Robotics is much more than building robots, It's a way to view science through the lenses of real world engineers, designers, and computer programmers. Robotics team members learn to write grants, create their own designs. Students learn to become independent thinkers, innovators, and designers through collaboration with engineering professionals both regionally and across the country.
Robotics Accomplishments since 2017
2017 – Rookie All-Star CVR
2017 - Quarterfinals CVR
2017 – Nationals
2018 – Safety Award CVR
2018 – Gracious Professionalism
2022 – Quarterfinals AVR
2022 – Spirit Award AVR
2023 – Quarterfinals AVR
2024 – Dean’s List Finalist
Mock Trial
For more information visit the CNEC Mock Trial Website
Clovis North Mock Trial Team has been one of the most successful academic teams in Clovis North history. We began our team during the 2008-2009 season with mostly 8th and 9th graders competing at the County level where we went 2-2. Since that first year, we have been Valley Champions in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024. We were runner-up Valley Champs in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Our teams placed 3rd (2011) and 4th (2012) in the California State Mock Trial Championships and we've also taken two teams to the Empire International Mock Trial Tournament in NYC where 40 teams from 6 nations competed! In 2011, we placed 15th and in 2014, we placed 10th in the world!
Academic Decathlon
The Academic Decathlon® is recognized as the most prestigious high school academic team competition in the United States. It is a ten-event scholastic competition for teams of nine high school students who match their intellects with teams from other schools. Students of all learning levels are given the opportunity to excel academically through this competition, which centers around a yearly theme determined at the national level. That theme is at the heart of the curriculum each year; however, the bulk of the things that decathletes learn apply to things that the CNEC team members need to know every year as a decathlete. Students are tested in ten categories: art, economics, essay, interview, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science, and speech. The work students do to prepare for Academic Decathlon reinforces what they are learning in all of their classes at school, plus it lays groundwork for classes that students will take as upper classmen at CNEC and for classes in college. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of education and have the opportunity to see how everything they learn in school is interconnected.
During the 2013 Fresno County Academic Decathlon, our students earned 26 individual medals and 3 special awards. Beyond those individual successes, our team as a whole earned a first (1st) place finish in our division (Division III), PLUS earned the ninth (9th) highest team overall score at the competition. All Team 1 members earned an additional medal for this accomplishment, AND we were awarded two large team trophies, which will soon be on display in our school’s display case. We were the only Clovis School to finish in the top ten AND the only school in the top ten who doesn't tackle the Academic Decathlon curriculum in a class setting. We were also the second most improved team out of all of the teams in our county.
Debate and Forensics
It is not the science and technology used to investigate and establish facts in law; it is the art or study of formal debate and public speaking. Anyone from the out-going student to the quiet reflective student can find a place to belong on the Clovis North Forensics team.
Debate is more than arguing, it is arguing right! Students learn to speak their minds and formulate informed opinions. Aristotle said that “The mark of an educated mind is the ability to entertain an idea without accepting it.” and that is the credo of our debate team. Students learn team work, dedication and more information on concepts from immigration to judicial activism to national service.
The spotlight, the glory, the laughs, the tears and the stage are your place then the forensics individual events are for you. Dramatic or Humorous Interpretation, Essay presentations, or Advocating your cause are all the realm of forensics individual events (IEs). IEs include an opportunity for students to voice their opinion on events of their choice, practice thinking on their feet or act out scenes. The forensics program competes at three local tournaments, state, national and invitational tournaments from Berkeley to Utah.