Claire Bigelow poses beside her Growing Plants Under Different Coloured Lights project during the 2023 Kiwanis Regional Science Fair. This year's event takes place Saturday at Medicine Hat College.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The Kiwanis Regional Science Fair is celebrating both 50 years and record participation this year, shaping up to be a Saturday to remember.
Senior scientific consultant Patty Rooks with the Praxis Science Outreach Society says she recalls visiting some of the first fairs when she was a child, and her enthusiasm for them has far from diminished now that she is one of the organizers.
“We have 84 projects registered to date, 124 students and 72 judges,” said Rooks. “We also have representation from all the school divisions in the area, as well as homeschooled students, and from Grades 4 to 12. We don’t usually see such, you know, all around representation from everywhere, and all age groups, so this is really exciting.”
Rooks has been working with many of these students since November, helping them apply the scientific method to personal projects that they are deeply passionate about as they get their work ready for presenting on Saturday.
“These students, they are top notch, and they’re so excited to show their interest in what they’ve wanted to research and experiment on,” said Rooks.
The event will feature the various projects students have been working on, but also science displays to demonstrate the kinds of technology Medicine Hat College has to offer, hands-on puzzles and the ever-famous Science Trivia to help keep the great minds of tomorrow occupied.
Rooks expressed gratitude for the volunteers and partnerships that make this event possible, and beyond that help send the winners to the Canada Wide Science Fair.
“There’s nothing like it,” said Rooks. “It’s a one week paid trip to the Canada Wide Science Fair and it’s not just about showcasing their science fair project. They get to go on field trips. They get to see the university in that city. And it’s an experience they will never forget.”
Members of the public interested in seeing the fair for themselves would get the best experience arriving at Medicine Hat College around 1 p.m, said Rooks, after the judging is largely completed, for the best chance to speak with students about their work.
