More than 67,000 eighth-graders from 2,700 villages across Kazakhstan have registered for the IQanat national Olympiad — a record number in the project's history, up from about 64,000 a year earlier, infohub.kz reports.

The Olympiad's organizers shared the details. The schoolchildren will now compete for the chance to study free of charge at the IQanat boarding school or to receive three years of educational support for admission to leading universities in Kazakhstan and abroad.

The first round of the IQanat Olympiad has kicked off across the country. The project's main goal is to give rural children access to quality education regardless of where they live or their family's financial means.

The Olympiad is held in three stages. In the first round, eighth-graders are tested on mathematical and reading literacy, logical thinking and the Kazakh language. The second round will feature more advanced subject-specific tasks.

Based on the results of the first two stages, 1,000 finalists will be selected to meet in the final round. Some of them will receive grants for fully free study at the IQanat High School of Burabay in Borovoe, where students live, study and receive intensive academic preparation under leading international programs.

The remaining finalists will also have a chance to change their future. They will be offered the free three-year IQanat Intensive Program (IQIP), which includes English language, preparation for the UNT and international exams, career guidance, mentoring and assistance with university admission.

The project's results already speak for themselves. Today, up to 94% of graduates of IQanat programs are admitted to universities on grants, and the project's alumni continue their studies in 20 countries around the world. The Olympiad is backed by a community of more than 260 Kazakh entrepreneurs who help rural schoolchildren unlock their abilities and gain opportunities that were previously out of reach for many children from villages.

For more than 67,000 participants, this year's Olympiad could be the first step toward an education they had only dreamed of.