DemiDec
Encyclopedia
DemiDec Resources is a private company founded in 1994 by now-CEO Daniel Berdichevsky
that annually publishes study materials for the United States Academic Decathlon
, hosts the World Scholar's Cup
and co-operates several "study academies" around the world.
had been part of the Taft High School Academic Decathlon in the 1992–1993 season, but had dropped out because he was "too scared of giving a speech". Despite this, Berdichevsky became team captain for the 1993–94 season. Berdichevsky and his teammates would go on to win the United States Academic Decathlon National Championship that year with the help of their coach, Dr. Berchin, who had also led a team to victory in 1989. Earlier that year, Berdichevsky had set an individual scoring record at the Los Angeles City competition that would remain unbroken until the 2007–08 season, when Isabel Salovaara from Whitney Young High School in Illinois earned 9,300 points to beat Berdichevsky's record by a mere three points.
Six weeks after the competition, Berdichevsky and teammate Andrew Salter started creating guides and examinations for the next season. Their first year's product was very small, and was criticized for its errors, though it earned the two almost $20,000 in 5 months. However, when their old coach Dr. Berchin joined them the following year, DemiDec gained more stability and decided to continue with the venture in the future. During the following two years, the company changed structure to its current one; it began to rely heavily on a "a network of former Decathletes, curriculum experts and experienced writers" to create a study course that included both study guides and practice examinations. In 1998, DemiDec nearly merged with USAD, but for an unknown reason, did not. Since then, the company has consistently come out with a variety of material for Academic Decathlon, including "Resource Guides", "Power Guides", flashcards, quizzes, and sequenced examinations. The materials are generally released in the summer, after having been seen by "Beta testers" – usually current or former Academic Decathletes.
Daniel Berdichevsky
Daniel Berdichevsky also known as DemiDec Dan is a noted figure in international education, the application of online social networks, and in the design of persuasive technologies...
that annually publishes study materials for the United States Academic Decathlon
United States Academic Decathlon
The United States Academic Decathlon is an annual high school academic competition organized by the non-profit United States Academic Decathlon Association. The competition consists of seven multiple choice tests, two performance events, and an essay...
, hosts the World Scholar's Cup
World Scholar's Cup
The World Scholar's Cup is an international team academic tournament with students participating from over 30 countries. The competition was founded by DemiDec, in particular by Daniel Berdichevsky, DemiDec's president, in 2006. Other directors of the program include Zac Ellington and Bunnie Hadsall...
and co-operates several "study academies" around the world.
History
In the 1980s and 1990s, the United States Academic Decathlon had few third-party companies that wrote study materials for students, and individual teams had to do most of the research themselves. Daniel BerdichevskyDaniel Berdichevsky
Daniel Berdichevsky also known as DemiDec Dan is a noted figure in international education, the application of online social networks, and in the design of persuasive technologies...
had been part of the Taft High School Academic Decathlon in the 1992–1993 season, but had dropped out because he was "too scared of giving a speech". Despite this, Berdichevsky became team captain for the 1993–94 season. Berdichevsky and his teammates would go on to win the United States Academic Decathlon National Championship that year with the help of their coach, Dr. Berchin, who had also led a team to victory in 1989. Earlier that year, Berdichevsky had set an individual scoring record at the Los Angeles City competition that would remain unbroken until the 2007–08 season, when Isabel Salovaara from Whitney Young High School in Illinois earned 9,300 points to beat Berdichevsky's record by a mere three points.
Six weeks after the competition, Berdichevsky and teammate Andrew Salter started creating guides and examinations for the next season. Their first year's product was very small, and was criticized for its errors, though it earned the two almost $20,000 in 5 months. However, when their old coach Dr. Berchin joined them the following year, DemiDec gained more stability and decided to continue with the venture in the future. During the following two years, the company changed structure to its current one; it began to rely heavily on a "a network of former Decathletes, curriculum experts and experienced writers" to create a study course that included both study guides and practice examinations. In 1998, DemiDec nearly merged with USAD, but for an unknown reason, did not. Since then, the company has consistently come out with a variety of material for Academic Decathlon, including "Resource Guides", "Power Guides", flashcards, quizzes, and sequenced examinations. The materials are generally released in the summer, after having been seen by "Beta testers" – usually current or former Academic Decathletes.