Have you ever wondered about the secret lives of bacteria, how much DNA can fit into a cell, how gears work or what causes a tornado? These and many other questions will be answered at the District Science Fair on Tuesday, February 12th and Wednesday, February 13th. A highlight of the year for inquisitive science students, the fair is also an opportunity to impress the judges and possibly win a spot in this year’s regional fair at UBCO. From there, the top six students in British Columbia will travel to a national fair in Lethbridge to compete for $400,000 in prizes and scholarships.
Central Okanagan science teachers Marnie Birkeland, Jennifer Moffatt, Wynter Oakes, Dayna Margetts, Mohyna Ragoonaden, Karla Lockwood and Tanis Maxfield are key organizers of the District Fair. They anticipate that there will be approximately 200+ projects on display and 300+ student participants in attendance. The event takes place in the Learning Centre at Okanagan College from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday evening, and 9:00 am to 2:30 pm on Wednesday with an awards ceremony to follow. Student projects will be in two different categories: non-competitive (kindergarten to grade 5) will be competing for some great science prizes, and competitive (grade 6-12) will be competing for a chance to represent themselves at the regional science fair.
“Science Fair is such a fabulous opportunity for students to investigate the world around them, to use the scientific method and to practice their presentation skills to judges from our community,” says Birkeland.
“Students of all grades can choose a topic that they are interested in, and test the boundaries of their knowledge. Students who have participated in past fairs, have not only been given the opportunity to travel, meet other young scientists and earn monetary benefits from scholarships and awards, but they have also found a passion for science.”
Participants in this year’s Fair will be treated to a wide variety of activities including science challenges, virtual
field trips, lego robotics and other fun activities led by members of our community. It promises to be a fun opportunity for students to show off their creative and critical thinking science skills. For more information, please go to our new science fair website at www.sd23sciencefair.com.
