County scientists among winners at Quinte Regional Science Fair

Madison Osborne

Prince Edward County scientists were among those honoured at the 58th Quinte Regional Science and Technology Fair.

About 200 students from the Quinte area took home more than $10,000 in awards and gold medals at this year’s fair held at Loyalist College in Belleville, Saturday.

They discussed everything from Biogas – a cow’s superpower, to the five-second rule, probabilities, tornadoes, effects of music on plant growth, slime, parasites and more.

The Biogas project won Madison Osborne, of Queen Elizabeth School in Picton first place in the Grade 4, Group 3 category.

A project on ‘Helping Hands’ won Ashton Harwood, a Grade 6 Queen Elizabeth Public School student, a First Round Group 3 prize.

Ashton Harwood

In the Special Awards category for French Language projects, Luc Beaubien’s ‘La Guerre contre les microbes’ won him $50 in the junior category while Spencer Dullard-Krizay’s ‘Comment est-ce-que la Wifi affecte les cellules vivantes?’

won him $50 in the French Immersion category.

More than 100 judges evaluated and encouraged the students. As part of the judging process, every student received a written list of comments on how they might improve future projects.

Judges noted the most endearing part of this event is the enthusiasm of the students. “As soon as you ask them about their projects, it is like turning on a tap as all kinds of information comes forth.”

Luc Beaubien

“One thing we often underestimate here is the opportunity for the students to learn other useful life skills,” said Pat Findlay, chief judge. “The chance to practice public speaking is great. But for me, seeing the amazing work by the students keeps bringing me back, year after year.”

Throughout the morning, students were interviewed extensively during the first round of judging. First, second, third and honourable mentions, were awarded to each group of five to eight projects.

A second round of judging was used to determine the best in each grade, best in fair, specialty awards and the Canada Wide Science Fair awards.

Spencer Dullard Krizay

The best in grade winners this year were:
Grade 4: Lauren MacQuarrie from Queen Victoria
Grade 5: Sophia Saville from St. Joseph Catholic School
Grade 6: William Tomlinson from Queen Victoria
Grade 7: Lily Woods, Shoshannah Spencer from Susanna Moodie
Grade 8: Zoë Gordon, Brynne Barrett from St. Michael’s Catholic School
Grades 9-12: Isabella Isbester from Albert College

The Canada Wide Science Fair Awards are of note because they include an all-expenses paid trip to Ottawa for seven days in May, a value of approximately $2,000 for each of the five participants. This year it is to be held at the Carleton University.

Going to the Canada Wide Science Fair this year are:
Aidan Mundle of Albert College, with his project: Small Engine Carbon Capture; Lily Woods and Shoshannah Spencer of Susanna Moodie with their project Saving Water in Drought Situations; Elliot Mundle of Albert College with ‘Diagnosis Salmonellosis’ and Isabella Isbester, of Albert College with ‘Sunflower Seed Germination’.

At the Canada Wide Science Fair they compete for almost one million dollars in awards. They will be given tours, workshops and demonstrations of regionally and nationally important science.