After some delays caused by the cancellation of the planned district science fair, the list of 30 projects being sent on to the Regional Science Fair has been released.
After spending last week travelling from school to school with a team of judges, Raja Gupta has come up with a list of 30 projects that are moving on to compete at the regionals on April 10 and 11 in Kelowna at Okanagan College’s KLO campus.
Now, Gupta said, these students should be tweaking their projects and making improvements in preparation for the next level of competition. There are already substantial rewards at the regional level and more for the winning projects that go on to compete at the national level.
Besides the possibility of a scholarship from UBC Okanagan and other awards at the regional fair, Gupta said, there is nearly a half million dollars in awards at the regional level. And the rewards are as great on the knowledge side as well, especially for students who continue to learn, research and tweak their project over the course of years.
“Some of our students are experts in what they are studying,” said Gupta. “The kids that get there, they are indeed experts in their field, they are bringing new knowledge to the table.”
Even if they don’t carry on with their particular project, Gupta continued, the student develop depth and understanding so they can dig deeper in subsequent projects.
“At the senior level, they are only 17 or 18 years old, but there has been Grade 7 students that have won the national fair,” said Gupta. “You consider that, someone at the age of 13 is an expert in their field.”
Penticton Secondary
An Iota of Colour on Io, Breanna Gowe and Meg Cumming, Grade 9
École Entre Lacs
Le Nettoyage du Plumage, Anne-Marie Lang-Hodge and Zoe Konanz, Grade 8
Holy Cross School
Distracted Driving is Dangerous, Julia Speirs, Grade 8 — Linty Potter and the Mysterious Mung Beans, Kelsey Davie, Grade 8 — Are You Hot?, Rylan Wheeler, Grade 6
Home Learners Program
Modern Tech and the Next Evolution of the Human Eye, John Nemes, Grade 9 — Save the Ozone Layer of our Planet, James Nemes, Grade 8 — Sled Speed Test, McKenzie Downey
McNicoll Park Middle School
How Much Will You Get? Riley Kascak, Grade 8 — Opposites Attract, Tayler Olsted and Keirran Godbold, Grade 8 — Killer In Disguise, Connor McDowell, Grade 8 — The Taste of Music, Nicole Josteema and Nikki Galbraith, Grade 8 — How Do You Take Your Soil?, Leah Watts, Grade 8
Summerland Middle School
Electric Lines, Spencer McIntosh and Dylan Fetterer, Grade 8 —Ticking Time Bomb, Austin Hogg, Grade 8 — Emulsion Solution, Sylvia Mott, Grade 8 — Magnetic Bridge?, Gavin Tiel, Grade 8 — Do You Really Want to Drink That Soda, Cameron Soo, Grade 7 — Rock’n Read, Rachel Shanner, Grade 7 — Sticks and Stones, Chloe Collins and Catherine Critchlow, Grade 7 — Reflex-Olo-GEE, Rylan Hayter and Jenna Bordeleau, Grade 7
KVR Middle School
The Heat is On, Josh Gowe — La Dilatation des métaux, Vincent Combret — Electrifying Wastes, Samuel Lasinski — La Friction des Patins, Jacob Kirschmann — EggHead, Maggie Robinson — Elephant Toothpaste, Spencer Pickard
Skaha Lake Middle School
Eco Friendly or Just Expensive, Reece Haberstock and Todd Corrie, Grade 7 —Think Thirst First, Rebecca Schulz, Grade 6 — Oil Soaked Up, Saphyre Monteith, Grade 6